BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

Coal miner, Makomo Resources, says production in the first quarter of the year remained subdued, with output only reaching half of the company’s target due to the unavailability of key raw materials.

“Our target was between 200 000 tonnes and 250 000 tonnes a month and we did almost 50% of that in the quarter. In fact, it was only the latter part, the last month of the quarter, otherwise January and February we were very low. We did about 30% or so on average for the quarter, which is way below our target,” managing director Raymond Mutokonyi said.

“We faced operational challenges, especially the high cost of production versus the price of that commodity and unavailability of key raw materials like diesel and explosives, which are being imported”.

Makomo has an installed capacity of 350 000 tonnes per month which remains underutilised.

“So, first quarter was very subdued. We did not do much, but the situation has slightly improved in the second quarter. But we are still having the same challenges. Fuel is a big challenge as it is still unavailable,” Mutokonyi said.

“We are hoping that somehow, the situation can be improved by availing the fuel at the right price as well as forex for key raw materials”.

“All things being equal, we would want to achieve at least 75% of our total capacity, but I’m not sure whether it’s going to be possible because the first quarter has already gone. But judging from the orders that Zesa wants, we should achieve at least 60% or so in the remaining months, provided the raw materials are available,” he said.

Makomo Resources is the largest privately-owned coal producer in Zimbabwe, and it supplies the country’s thermal power stations, industrial and agricultural sectors.

BY Staff Reporter

Zimbabwe can further enhance travel experience through the use of emerging technologies, stakeholders at the on-going Arabian Travel Market have said.

The country, through the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, is showcasing its growing portfolio of hospitality offerings at the Arabian Travel Market, and is hoping to build on a record tourism year in which it received 2, 5 million visitors.

This comes as tourism entities around the world continue to rapidly transform their operations and destination offerings in line with the ever evolving needs of today’s travellers.

“The theme of the 26th edition highlights the role that technology and innovation is playing in revolutionising the travel landscape,” Dubai Tourism director general Helal Saeed Almarri said.

“Dubai has already embraced a ‘digital, mobile and social first’ agenda, placing future readiness at its core and promoting the adoption of the disruptive technology to evolve its destination offering.”

Arabian Travel Market exhibition director Danielle Curtis concurred, adding the power of data was redefining the customer journey.

Curtis believes that travel shows provide the platform on which tourism players can engage, whereas driving the development of sustainable tourism

“The question remains: In a world of accelerating technology disruption, how can the hospitality industry continue to keep abreast with the rapidly evolving innovations surrounding it?

“In our effort to address this question, cutting-edge technology and innovation has been adopted as our spotlight theme for 2019 and will be integrated across all shows, vertical and planned activities… and identifying the top tourism trends that have the greatest growth potential is one of the most valuable insights ATM has to offer,” she said

ZTA head of co-operate affairs Godfrey Koti said Zimbabwe was not too far off the mark, although there was room for improvement.

“We are growing awareness among our operators and the entire industry in the country. It is our hope that we embrace the advent of technology. We have already embarked on the journey to digitasation of the tourism industry,” Koti said.

“We are slowly, but surely driving our strategic position in this regard. We have players who have done their best to align their strategic goals with technology adoption. We are proud of those that have done so and we encourage those that have not started to begin to focus on it.”

“Digital tools are a must for destination Zimbabwe to adopt to, considering that it has been named the third-must visit destination in the world. It is, therefore, imperative for us in authority and government to facilitate the smooth flow of technological advancement, Koti added”

Meanwhile, ZTA met with Saudi Arabia director of tourism Majed Alghanim on possible areas of co-operation and strategic partnerships between the two destinations.

Saudi Arabia is the third-ranked most popular international destination of travellers from the Middle East region, with Egyptian capital of Cairo leading the way as the most searched city destination overall.

By Farai Matiashe

Higher and Tertiary Education minister Amon Murwira has challenged educationists to embrace the Education 5.0 model aimed at producing students who are innovative to transform the economy towards the achievement of Agenda 2030.

Traditionally, Zimbabwe’s education system had three missions of teaching, research and community outreach.

The purpose of its design focused on producing a worker and not an industrialist.

The new model embraces innovation and industrialisation, which could enable education institutions in the country to produce students who can create jobs for themselves as well as for others.

“We have now conceptualised a new augmented model that allows us to move from the idea-to-product by adding innovation and industrialisation to the traditional tripartite mission of teaching, research and community outreach,” Murwira said at a Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) annual conference in Harare yesterday.

“What we have found out is that no matter how much we are able to calculate the most complicated equation, as long as we are in a wrong design (Education 3.0), we will and cannot industrialise and modernise,” Murwira said.

“But when we calculate within the right framework (Education 5.0), industrialisation will happen.”

Primary and Secondary Education minister Paul Mavima said Education 5.0 was the key to transforming Zimbabwe’s economy.

“Our teachers are the fundamental factors to ensure the human capital that is needed to take us towards the Agenda 2030. We must act fast. (Much) of our problem is productivity-centred,” he said.

“We want innovations. We want people who can come up with businesses to help solve these problems. Teachers are critical. Our teachers need to be capacitated.”

He said his ministry was in solidarity with the teachers in their endeavour to negotiate for better salaries from their employer.

“We should motivate and also bring confidence in them to help us achieve Agenda 2030. We are advancing together with them to the Public Service Commission to improve their standard of living,” Mavima said.

In an interview on the sidelines of the conference, Zimta chief executive Sifiso Ndlovu said the annual indaba was meant to discuss issues affecting teachers that are acting as barriers to the transformation of the economy.

“We are discussing if the teachers’ condition in the classroom is favourable? The size of the classroom and the teacher-students ratio. These are issues which we will take to government to say let us address,” he said.

BY SINDISO DUBE

SOUTH African award winning producer and wheel-spinner Prince Kaybee was reported to be sick when he performed at the launch of his latest album Re Mmino on Tuesday night at Cosmopolitan Night club in Bulawayo.

He was scheduled for a meet-and-greet session with his fans at 2pm, but decided to lock himself in his hotel room until his time of performance.

Cosmopolitan Night Club marketing consultant Ntando Ndlovu told NewsDay Life & Style that the Mzansi artiste was not feeling well when he touched down at the Joshua Nkomo International Airport.

“We were forced not to go according to prior plans of having a met-and-greet session, including a radio interview as Prince Kaybee was not feeling well. He said he caught a cold and was suffering from flue,” he said.

“I understand people wanted more of Prince Kaybee, but the show was good as people came out in their numbers and had a good time as Prince delivered.”

The Fetch Your Life hitmaker made his grand entrance at exactly midnight, much to the excitement of the fans who he took down memory lane with his old songs like Wajelwa and Better Days before belting out tracks from his 12-track album.

Fans who packed the venue to watch Prince Kaybee had to be content with his energetic and fun act, for close to an hour.

Soon after his set, Prince Kaybee left the club, with fans still asking for more.

Prince Kaybee’s latest album carries tracks such as runaway hits Banomoya, Club Controller and Fetch your life, Gugulethu, The weekend and Rockets among others.

Meanwhile, Cosmopolitan Night Club will on May 24 host Durban’s finest wheelspinner, producer and singer, DJ Tira, in a potentially explosive gig.

BY WINSTONE ANTONIO

SOME top African models, both male and female, are set to battle for honours at the Battle of the Models Africa (Boma) series. The series has been shelved for about four years, with the brains behind the project, modelling guru and Zim Gossip Models Agency founder Mercy “Catwalk” Mushaninga (pictured), claiming she was waiting for the right time to host it.

In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style yesterday, Mushaninga, who is also the Zimbabwe Models Awards founder, said Boma is a reality television series, with 13 episodes for each participating country, which would be screened on local and international television stations.

“The Battle of the Models Africa competition is different from other ordinary modelling competitions as it is moulded along the lines that will help most models to discover themselves and work towards achieving their lifetime goals,” she said.

Mushaninga said scouting had started in other African countries and the response was overwhelming.

“We started our first series in Zambia, where we selected our best five models, both male and female. We have now opened the platform to models who want to challenge our top five locally, as we want new faces of the industry. We also want to market Africa through fashion and beauty,” she added.

“After the challenges, we will choose Zambia’s best two who will battle it out with other African countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Tanzania, Namibia and Botswana.”

Mushaninga said for the selection criteria, judges would select the best by looking at qualities that make a good model, among such which would include talent, intelligence, knowledge of the modeling industry, natural beauty, skincare, posture, presentation of their country, catwalk or runway and themed designer wear.

“Most teenagers think modelling is a walk in the park, but Battle of the Models Africa will expose who the real African models are. I would like to encourage models to take part in this battle as it will boast their confidence and knowledge about other African countries’, market Africa to the world, as well as understanding cultural backgrounds,” she said.

“The models who are registering have to brace themselves because the competition is going to be tough. We have models who will battle with teams from well developed countries, and it will be a battlefield.”

BY HENRY MHARA

DYNAMOS captain Edward Sadomba makes his much-awaited return to the side when they host a high-flying ZPC Kariba at Rufaro Stadium on Sunday, but the Harare football giants have to wait a little bit longer to welcome back injured Claude Junior Nkahan.

The veteran striker was red-carded in the team’s 2-0 away defeat to Chicken Inn, the club’s third game of the season, which ruled him out of the subsequent two matches against Herentals and TelOne.

Dynamos struggled in the two matches, losing to Herentals in a game that sealed coach Lloyd Chigowe’s fate and has since been replaced by Tonderai Ndiraya.

Ndiraya’s first match was a 1-all draw away to TelOne in a game they played the final 25 minutes a man short after Godfrey Mukambi was shown red. A serious lack of discipline in the squad will add to Ndiraya’s worries as he tries to settle in his new job, where he inherited a young and inexperienced team.

But he will be happy that Sadomba is back and the striker will once again lead the young squad, who are seeking a turn of fortunes after picking four points from a possible 15.

“He (Sadomba) is the captain of the ship, so his return is a morale-booster to the team,” Dynamos team manager Richard Chihoro said yesterday.

“He inspires young players and we hope that his return will motivate the players to start getting positive results. But we are not relying on him alone. What is more important, especially at this point, is teamwork. Players need to fight as one unit to get results; it can’t be about one player,” Chihoro warned.

Dynamos are facing a ZPC Kariba high in confidence, having won their last four matches, but Chihoro is not worried.

“They are winning their matches, but we are not really worried. They are just being lucky to get the wins because all the teams are playing well. Others are getting results and some are unlucky. All the teams, including Mushowani, Yadah and Bulawayo Chiefs are playing well, but are unfortunate to lose matches, so we will treat ZPC Kariba like any other team,” Chihoro said.

While the return of Sadomba will excite Dynamos fans, they will have to wait a little bit longer to see Nkahan in action again.

The Cameroonian, nicknamed Neymar, picked an injury in a game against Hwange and has been out of action since.

No good news is coming from the camp on his recovery, with Chihoro saying the winger might need two more weeks before he can play again.

Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matchday six fixtures

Saturday: Bulawayo Chiefs v Yadah (Luveve), Ngezi Platinum Stars v TelOne (Baobab), Black Rhinos v Triangle United (National Sports Stadium), FC Platinum v Herentals (Mandava)

Sunday: Dynamos v ZPC Kariba (Rufaro), Manica Diamonds v Chicken Inn (Gibbo), Chapungu v Mushowani Stars (Mandava), Highlanders v Hwange (Barbourfields), Caps United v Harare City (National Sports Stadium)

BY ALJAZEERA

Next to a marble pulpit inside a Catholic church, a young Muslim girl chases around with other children.

The church has become a home for her and nearly 1,000 others from different faiths as they wait out the aftermath of Mozambique’s latest devastating cyclone.

Situated in the heart of this predominantly Muslim but diverse city ravaged by Cyclone Kenneth, the Maria Auxiliadora parish houses those displaced by the storm in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique’s northernmost province.

“We don’t ask about people’s religions, human life is all we value,” Father Ricardo Filipe Rosa Marques, the 41-year-old priest in charge, told AP news agency.

The government has said 41 people have died after the cyclone made landfall on Thursday, and the humanitarian situation in Pemba and other areas is dire.

More than 55 centimetres of rain have fallen in Pemba since Kenneth arrived just six weeks after Cyclone Idai tore into central Mozambique.

This is the first time two cyclones have struck the country in a single season, and Kenneth was the first cyclone recorded so far north in Mozambique in the era of satellite imaging.

The danger is not over. More rain was expected and rivers were expected to reach flood stage by Thursday, the United Nations humanitarian office has said, citing a UK aid analysis. It is the end of the rainy season and rivers already were running high.

Shelter is a top priority for most cyclone survivors and this is what the church is providing, promoting itself as a safe space even before the storm.

In a region where little-known Muslim armed groups have reportedly killed dozens of people in recent months, a certain amount of tension might be expected. But for some, what matters most is shelter.

“I had never been in a church before … but as long as I am safe I don’t mind,” said Aamilah Felciano, who is Muslim. “It doesn’t mean I have abandoned my faith, I am just saving my life.”

The church has suspended mass and other routine programmes. There is no space or time for such activities, the priest said.

“There can be no better mass than giving people shelter and hope. That is the church’s mission,” he said.
Women and children have taken up residence inside the main hall. The few belongs they could carry as they fled, mainly clothing and plastic buckets, are tucked close by.

Children climb over the pulpit and the priest’s chair, playing. In one corner a woman breastfeeds her baby. Church pews have been turned into washing lines.

Outside, shielded from the pounding rains, girls and boys take turns stirring huge pots of rice and soup.

As nightfall approaches, people prepare reed mats or pieces of cloth. Some will sleep on the bare floor. Men sleep on the hall’s balcony.

More than 900 displaced people are sheltering here, while about 200 others are staying at church centres elsewhere in the city, according to Joao Paulo, an official with Caritas, a Catholic relief agency.
Some people are still arriving. But getting people to leave their homes was not easy at first.

“The difficulty was that a lot of people here are Muslims, some said they cannot stay in a Catholic church,” said the priest, Rosa Marques, adding: “Some refused and preferred to stay at their homes. My heart broke because these people chose to face death over safety.”

But there are few religious tensions among city residents, he said, and many of the people arriving at the church with food, medicine and other aid are Muslim. “It is not as difficult as in other areas,” he said.

As he spoke, the Muslim call to prayer blared from speakers at one of the numerous mosques nearby, and people left the church to pray.

Kenneth is not the first calamity to bring people of different faiths together in the province. When the Muslim armed groups intensified their attacks on local communities last year, Muslims and Christians organised joint prayer meetings and opened an inter-faith dialogue centre, the priest said.

“People here have suffered a lot. They have been through (Portuguese) colonialism, civil war and the recent killings. They have been living with scars for years yet their love and sense of sharing is amazing,” he said.

“I am learning from them. The people here are teaching me how to be a true priest.”

BY BBC

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro says he has defeated an “attempted coup” by opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

Dozens of National Guardsmen sided with the opposition in clashes on Tuesday that injured more than 100 people.

But in a defiant TV address, President Maduro said Mr Guaidó had failed to turn the military against him.

Mr Guaidó insists that Mr Maduro has lost control of the armed forces. The opposition leader called for more streets protests on Wednesday.

“Today we continue,” he tweeted. “We will keep going with more strength than ever, Venezuela.”

Mr Guaidó has been recognised as interim leader of Venezuela by more than 50 countries, including the US, the UK and most in Latin America.

The US reiterated its support for Mr Guaidó on Wednesday, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying “military action is possible” if necessary.

But Mr Maduro, backed by Russia, China and the top of the country’s military, has refused to cede leadership to his rival.

Mr Pompeo is scheduled to speak with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday, National Security Adviser John Bolton said.

What did Mr Maduro say?

In his televised address, flanked by military commanders, Mr Maduro accused protesters of “serious crimes” which he said would “not go unpunished”.

Both the president and Mr Guaidó have called on their supporters to take to the streets, setting up more potential violent unrest in a nation already beset by economic crisis, chronic power cuts and widespread food shortages.

Mr Maduro lashed out again at the United States, which he accuses of plotting against him. He dismissed a claim by the US that he had a plane ready on the tarmac to take him to Cuba, a staunch supporter of the beleaguered president.

“They had an airplane on the tarmac,” Mr Pompeo said. “He was ready to leave this morning [Tuesday], as we understand it. Russians indicated he should stay.”

What happened on Tuesday?

A three-minute video by Mr Guaidó published in the early hours of Tuesday showed him standing alongside a number of men in military uniform. He announced that he had the support of “brave soldiers” in the capital, Caracas.

He urged Venezuelans to join them in the streets, and appeared alongside another opposition leader, Leopoldo López, who had been under house arrest since 2014.

Supporters on both sides then gathered in different places of Caracas throughout the day, and there were clashes between Mr Guaidó’s supporters and armed military vehicles.

Protesters were also seen throwing rocks, but being repelled by tear gas and water cannon. At one stage a military vehicle was filmed driving into protesters.

Mr Guaidó, the president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, has called on Venezuela’s military to back him ever since he declared himself interim president in January.

He argues that President Maduro is a “usurper” because he was re-elected in polls that had been widely disputed.Tuesday marked the most violent episode of the Venezuelan political crisis this year. Venezuelan health officials said 69 people were injured in the clashes, including two with bullet wounds.

Broadcasts from a number of news agencies, including the BBC and CNN, were apparently suspended amid the violence.

Later on Tuesday, it emerged Mr López had sought safety in the Chilean, then the Spanish embassy, along with his family.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency prohibition against all US carriers flying below 26,000ft in Venezuelan airspace.

It also said all US operators should leave the country within 48 hours, due to increasing political instability.

One sidebar to the Venezuela story is the battle for influence between the US and Russia. It’s a battle that, for now at least, Russia seems to be winning.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was quick to accuse Russia of meddling, insisting that its government had persuaded President Maduro to abandon plans to flee to Havana.

While the US has firmly backed the Venezuelan opposition leader Russia has thrown its weight behind Mr Maduro – vetoing a US resolution calling for fresh Venezuelan elections and offering considerable practical assistance – medicines, grain supplies and unspecified military support.

Russia’s support for Venezuela has been long-standing. And it’s not just a matter of strategic rivalry with Washington, corporate interests in Moscow and individuals close to President Putin have large stakes in Venezuela’s oil industry.

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How did the international community react?

UN Secretary General António Guterres has appealed for both sides to avoid violence.

The US reiterated its support for Mr Guaidó. In a television interview on Wednesday, Mr Pompeo said Washington would prefer a peaceful transition of power but stated that “military action is possible”.

“If that’s what’s required, that’s what the United States will do,” the US Secretary of State said.

President Donald Trump said he was monitoring events in Venezuela “very closely” and said the US stood with the Venezuelan people and their freedom.

He also threatened to implement the “highest-level sanctions” and a “full and complete embargo” against Cuba unless its military immediately ceased its support of Mr Maduro.

Governments who still support Mr Maduro, including Bolivia and Cuba, condemned Mr Guaidó’s efforts as an attempted “coup d’etat”.

The Mexican government expressed “concern about a possible increase in violence” while Colombian President Ivan Duque urged the Venezuelan military to stand “on the right side of history” against Mr Maduro.

An emergency meeting of the Lima Group of Latin American countries has been scheduled for Friday.

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BY BBCSPORT

Caster Semenya has lost a landmark case against athletics’ governing body meaning it will be allowed to restrict testosterone levels in female runners.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) rejected the South African’s challenge against the IAAF’s new rules.

But Cas said it had “serious concerns as to the future practical application” of the regulations.

Olympic 800m champion Semenya, 28, said in response to the ruling that the IAAF “have always targeted me specifically”.

“For a decade the IAAF has tried to slow me down, but this has actually made me stronger. The decision of Cas will not hold me back,” the statement continued.

“I will once again rise above and continue to inspire young women and athletes in South Africa and around the world.”

Previously, she had said that she wanted to “run naturally, the way I was born”.

Now she – and other athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) – must either take medication in order to compete in track events from 400m to the mile, or change to another distance.

Cas found that the rules for athletes with DSD were discriminatory – but that the discrimination was “necessary, reasonable and proportionate” to protect “the integrity of female athletics”.

However, Cas set out serious concerns about the application of the rules, including:

Worries that athletes might unintentionally break the strict testosterone levels set by the IAAF;

Questions about the advantage higher testosterone gives athletes over 1500m and the mile;

The practicalities for athletes of complying with the new rules.

Cas has asked the IAAF to consider delaying the application of the rules to the 1500m and one mile events until more evidence is available.

Semenya is still eligible to compete at the Diamond League meet in Doha on Friday and can make an appeal against the Cas ruling to the Swiss Tribunal Courts within the next 30 days.

What are disorders/differences of sex development (DSD)?

People with a DSD do not develop along typical gender lines.

Their hormones, genes, reproductive organs may be a mix of male and female characteristics, which can lead to higher levels of testosterone – a hormone that increases muscle mass, strength and haemoglobin, which affects endurance.

The term “disorders” is controversial with some of those affected preferring the term “intersex” and referring to “differences in sex development”.

The new rules come into effect on 8 May, which means athletes who want to compete at September’s World Championships – also in Doha – will have to start taking medication within one week.

Those affected by the rules will have to have a blood test on 8 May to test their eligibility. A statement from the IAAF said that no athlete “will be forced to undergo any assessment” and that any treatment was up to the individual athlete.

Athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) have higher levels of natural testosterone, which the IAAF believes gives them a competitive advantage – findings that were disputed by Semenya and her legal team.

Her lawyers had previously said her “genetic gift” should be celebrated, adding: “Women with differences in sexual development have genetic variations that are no different than other genetic variations in sport.”

They have also suggested that Semenya “does not wish to undergo medical intervention to change who she is and how she was born”.