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BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA/FREEMAN MAKOPA Harare City Council (HCC) has announced a temporary shutdown of Morton Jaffray and Warren Control waterworks treatment plants until Sunday, forcing many residents in the capital to experience a dry weekend. “City of Harare would like to notify residents and stakeholders that there will be a shutdown at Morton Jaffray and Warren control waterworks scheduled from today to Sunday December 20, 2020,” council said in a statement. “This shutdown is to enable our contactors to install new water pumps. The department will also be taking advantage of this critical shutdown to undertake other critical shutdowns to undertake critical outstanding maintenance works. The successful completion of these works will reduce physical water losses currently obtained in the system.” The water treatment plant has been shut down several times this year because of shortages of chemicals used in treating water and incapacitation. President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently ordered an urgent allocation of $9,3 million to council water treatment plant after the facility shut down due to shortage of chemicals. The money is expected to go towards equipment and chemicals for the waterworks, particularly chlorine and aluminium sulphate. The city is owed nearly $2,2 billion dollars by the government, companies and residents in unpaid rates. Meanwhile, the HCC yesterday said it was appealing to the government to grant it permission to charge some of its services in United States dollars in order to capacitate its departments. The council has in the past been accused of poor services delivery, which it blames on unavailability of foreign currency. Acting HCC spokesperson Innocent Ruwende said they were appealing to government to charge other services in foreign currency to ensure the local authority is able to deliver. He said some of the equipment needed by council required forex. “We have 15 trucks which have been stuck in South Africa for two years and we need US$1,3 million for us to have these trucks. Residents are always complaining about refuse collection. We have engaged government, but we were given money that was not enough to bring the trucks,” Ruwende said. “We are appealing to government to help us get the trucks in the country and provide services or allow us to charge on-demand services in United States dollars. “These are services which residents approach council for and doesn’t affect everyone, we have building plans and those companies that open trenches in town or other buildings, so if we are allowed to charge those in foreign currency, we will be in a position to procure our trucks which are outside the country.” He added: “If we are allowed to charge in foreign currency we will be able to provide services to our residents or customers.” Ruwende also bemoaned vandalism of council property saying this was affecting the local authority which is also in capacitated. “We are owed $2,2 billion by residents and business who have not been paying their rates and as for now, only about 25% of them are paying
The president also stressed the importance of keeping the economy open after months of stifling movement restrictions.
He urged citizens not to drop their guard and continue adhering to the health rules, such as wearing face masks and respecting curfew times.
South Africa has recorded just over 800,000 coronavirus infections - more than a third of the cases reported across the African continent - and over 20,000 deaths.
AFP
The leader of Ethiopia's rebellious Tigrayan forces said that protests were breaking out in the regional capital which fell to federal troops days ago in their month-long war.
GENEVA, Switzerland - A new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) has found that monthly wages fell or grew more slowly in the first six months of 2020, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic in two-thirds of countries for which official data was available, and that the crisis is likely to inflict massive downward pressure on wages in the near future.
(CALMATTERS) - As Gov. Gavin Newsom prepares fresh restrictions on mingling to combat climbing coronavirus cases, he has another hurdle to overcome: the increasingly conservative United States Supreme Court. Last week the nation’s highest court, joined by its newest justice, Amy Coney Barrett, slapped down rules in New York state that curtailed religious gatherings in […]
ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group just announced they’re making a major commitment to developing more diverse content. The company has pledged to... View Article
The post MTV Entertainment Group commits $250M to content from Black, POC and female filmmakers appeared first on TheGrio.
Gweru City Council mayor Josiah Makombe has said that council would relocate vendors operating from an illegal fresh farm produce market in Mtapa suburb. BY STEPHEN CHADENGA Makombe, who visited the market on Monday, saw vendors not observing COVID-19 regulations such as wearing masks and maintaining social distance. There are also no ablution facilities at the vending site. The city father said council would move the traders to an appropriate site in the same suburb. “When I visited Mtapa illegal market, I was disheartened by what I saw. “Surely, people are suffering to make ends meet,”Makombe said. “However, in as much as we are scrambling for an income to fend for our families, let us not forget that the COVID-19 pandemic is still prevalent. “I urge everyone to observe WHO guidelines against COVID-19, maintain social distance, mask up and sanitise your hands frequently.” He, however, added: “As a council we will relocate those traders to a more appropriate vending place in Mtapa as a matter of urgency.” Vendors created a new vending site after council closed Kombayi market to pave way for renovations after government directed all local authorities to demolish and refurbish old vending sites.
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - The top U.S. envoy on Venezuela called on the incoming Biden administration yesterday to use the leverage he believes has been gained from years of tough sanctions aimed at ousting socialist President Nicolas Maduro and urged against offering him any “giveaways.”
The article Biden must use sanctions as leverage against Venezuela’s Maduro, U.S. envoy says appeared first on Stabroek News.
By JILL COLVIN, ERIC TUCKER and JONATHAN LEMIRE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Advocates and lawyers anticipate a flurry of clemency action from President Donald Trump in the coming weeks that could test the limits of presidential pardon power. Trump is said to be considering a slew of pardons and commutations before he leaves office, including potentially members of his family, former aides and even himself. While it is not unusual for presidents to sign controversial pardons on their way out the door, Trump has made clear that he has no qualms about intervening in the cases of friends and […]
The post Trump expected to flex pardon powers on way out door appeared first on Black News Channel.
By STEVE PEOPLES and ROBERT BURNS Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden is facing escalating pressure from competing factions within his own party as he finalizes his choice for secretary of defense. Black leaders have encouraged the incoming president to select an African American to diversify what has so far been a largely white prospective Cabinet, while others are pushing him to appoint a woman to lead the Department of Defense for the first time. At the same time, a growing collection of progressive groups is opposing the leading female contender, Michèle Flournoy, citing concerns about her record […]
The post Biden facing growing pressure over secretary of defense pick appeared first on Black News Channel.
CONFEDERATION of Zimbabwe Miners (CZM) president Rangani Chauke has called on government to urgently regularise the operations of artisanal miners to avoid disasters and integrate the sector into the mainstream economy. By Stephen Chadenga Chauke’s call came in the wake of a rise in the number of fatal accidents involving gold panners in disused mines shafts. Cases of trapped artisanal miners were on the rise with 30 illegal miners feared dead after a shaft from which they were panning gave in at Ran Mine in Bindura recently. “As miners’ bodies, we have always reiterated that the formalisation of artisanal miners is a matter of urgency to avoid the unnecessary loss of lives,” Chauke said in an interview yesterday. “Regularisation of the sector would not only improve safety of miners, but would decriminalise the activity. “That is why we have always said the Mines and Minerals Bill should address the formalisation of the sector.” He said, despite contributing immensely to gold production in the country, artisanal mining continued to be a dangerous enterprise claiming many lives every year. Chauke said there was need to bring legality and stability to the sector to avoid negative consequences associated with artisanal mining. “There is need for laws and support from government on the legal and policy frameworks that ensure safety and good standards in the formalisation process,” he said. CZM is an association of small-scale-miners. In recent years, artisanal miners have resorted to mining in decommissioned mine shafts. Government continues to dither on plans to regularise artisanal mining.
