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Almost 400,000 Kenyan children have received the new malaria vaccine as the Ministry of Health announced Monday (Mar. 6) it will expand its use in the country.
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
Nelson Mandela Bay Metro will face stricter lockdown measures as South Africa braces itself for a resurgence of new Covid-19 infections, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced.
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.
[East African] Environmentalists have launched a regional resource hub for protected areas and biodiversity to support 24 countries in eastern and southern Africa in conservation.
HUNDREDS of Zimbabweans are stranded at the country’s borders with South Africa and Botswana due to lack of credible COVID-19 test certificates and various documents. The stranded people include two footballers on their way to join a Palapye-based soccer outfit, informal traders and others returning home after almost nine months living outside the country following closure of the borders as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Triangle United Football Club player, Agrippa Murimba, and Harare City Football Club’s Raymond Uchena, who are planning to join Morupule Wanderers, told VOA Zimbabwe Service that they had been stuck at Botswana’s Ramokgwebana border post for almost two days. Immigration officials are questioning the validity of their COVID-19 test certificates. Others stuck at the same place are Gertrude Maravanzira, who is on her way to visit her husband in Botswana, Walter Mukanga and several others. Immigration officials declined to comment, referring all questions to the country’s Health minister Edwin Dikoloti, who stressed that they would not allow any person to visit Botswana without proper COVID-19 test certificates. According to Denis Juru, president of the International Cross Border Traders Association of Zimbabwe, hundreds of people have been turned away at Zimbabwe’s ports of entry with authorities citing lack of authentic COVID-19 tests, improper travel documents and other issues. Juru said on Tuesday alone, about 622 of the 6 338 Zimbabweans intending to cross the Beitbridge Border Post were turned away due to lack of proper documentation, including COVID-19 test certificates. At least 230 people faced the same problem at Plumtree Border Post where 2 148 locals wanted to return home or visit Botswana. At Forbes Border Post 531 people failed to produce proper documentation while 314 Zimbabweans were also stranded at Chirundu Border Post. There were 38 and 41 such cases at Nyamapanda and Victoria Falls border posts, respectively. Juru told VOA Zimbabwe Service’s Livetalk show that “some of the people were just coming (home) without COVID-19 test certificates or a certificate that had expired. A COVID-19 test certificate is only valid for 72 hours, which is three days. So, we advise all travellers to have proper documentation. What they need is very simple as they only need to add a COVID-19 test certificate to the documentation they normally carry when crossing borders. Immigration officials in Harare declined to comment — VOA
FC Platinum striker Silas Songani has returned to the national team after Warriors coach Zdravko Logarusic has named him among a squad of 34 locally-based senior players that will commence preparations for next month’s African Nations Championship (Chan) in Cameroon. BY SPORTS REPORTER Songani returned from a stint in Denmark to join FC Platinum, who are also playing in the Caf Champions League, and is looking to make a big impression. The squad will begin preparations on Monday and will break for the festive period before resuming just before New Year. Loga’s squad is dominated by players that have received national team call ups before while some of the players have featured in the Chan qualifiers. “The Warriors technical team has named 34 players in the provisional squad for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) finals. The team begins preparations on December 6, 2020 until the December 20, 2020 when they will break for the festive holiday. Camp will then resume on December 28, 2020 until the games begin on January 16, 2021 in Cameroon,” a media statement by Zifa yesterday read. Zimbabwe face the hosts in the tournament curtain-raiser as they seek a fast start in a tournament they have performed relatively well over the years. The locally-based players will be looking to market themselves to more lucrative leagues when they play at the finals. Squad: Goalkeepers Ariel Sibanda (Highlanders), Simbarashe Chinani (Dynamos), Nelson Chadya (Ngezi Platinum Stars), Petros Mhari (FC Platinum) Defenders Xolani Ndlovu (Chicken Inn), Peter Muduwa (Highlanders), Partson Jaure (Dynamos), Valentine Musarurwa (Harare City), Ian Nekati (Chicken Inn), Qadr Amini (Ngezi Platinum Stars), Frank Makarati (Ngezi Platinum), Raphael Muduviwa (FC Platinum), Pawell Govere (Golden Eagles), Andrew Mbeba (Highlanders) Midfielders Juan Mutudza (Dynamos), Valentine Kadonzvo (Chicken inn, Ralph Kawondera (FC Platinum), Trevor Mavunga (Triangle), Phenias Bamusi (Caps United), Wellington Taderera (Ngezi Platinum), Devon Chafa (Ngezi Platinum), Kelvin Madzongwe (FC Platinum), Silas Songani (FC Platinum), Collins Duwa (Triangle United), Tichaona Chipunza (Chicken Inn), Ishmael Wadi (Caps United), Leeroy Mavunga (Caps United), Nqobizitha Masuku (Highlanders), Tatenda Tavengwa (Harare City), King Nadolo (Dynamos) Strikers Obriel Chirinda (Chicken Inn), Stanley Ngala (FC Platinum), Thomas Chideu (Harare City), William Manondo (Harare City)
Ghana, reputed to be a democratic example in West Africa, is preparing to elect its president on Monday in what promises to be a particularly close election between two long-time political adversaries.
President Nana Akufo-Addo, 76, a candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is seeking a second term against his predecessor John Mahama, 62, leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In 2012 and 2016, they had already competed for the highest office. Each narrowly won one of the two ballots.
So Monday's election looks like déjà vu, even though 11 other candidates, including three women, are in the running.
The contenders will have to convince Ghana's 17 million voters, more than half of whom are under 35, who will also elect their 275 deputies.
Unemployment, infrastructure and roads, education, and health are the main issues, according to pre-election surveys.
Since the early 2000s, this country, rich in gold, cocoa, and more recently oil, has experienced strong growth. And the rate of extreme poverty has been halved in less than 25 years.
But some regions, particularly in the North, continue to live in extreme poverty, without drinking water or electricity.
Above all, the crisis caused by the coronavirus has hit the country hard, with growth this year expected to fall to 0.9 percent, according to the IMF, the lowest rate in more than 30 years, compared to 6.5 percent in 2019.
The outgoing president was praised for his management of this crisis, and he kept some of his campaign promises for 2016, including on education and access to electricity, but he disappointed on his main commitment: to actively fight corruption, after the mandate of John Mahama, tainted by scandals.
According to an Afrobarometer survey conducted in 2019, 53% of Ghanaians believe that the level of corruption has increased in the country. In addition, the special anti-corruption prosecutor, appointed after Akufo-Addo's election, resigned in November, accusing the president of obstructing his work.
No election fever
For his part, Mr. Mahama will have to make people forget the accusations of economic mismanagement that prevented his re-election in 2016.
This year, however, he can count on his running mate, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, a former Minister of Education with a reputation for integrity and from the Centre, one of the key regions to win the election.
In the polls, Mr. Akufo-Addo is ahead of Mr. Mahama, but many analysts predict that his party's majority in Parliament could erode.
With the coronavirus - which has officially affected more than 50,000 people and killed 300 since March - election fever has not taken hold of the country.
\"There are indeed some parties and activities organized by the militants and political slogans that are played over and over again on the radio, but there is no big meeting,\" Kojo Asante, of the Ghanaian Center for Democratic Development, told AFP.
So far, Ghana has always escaped post-election violence and political transitions have been largely peaceful, unlike m
The United Nations said Friday fighting is ongoing in several parts of northern Tigray despite victory statements by the Ethiopian federal government.
The UN says the development is complicating its efforts to bring aid to the northern Ethiopian region. Spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Addis Ababa, Saviano Abreu described the situation as ‘’worrying and complex’’.
Tigray has been cut off from supplies since November 4. The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent federal army to attack forces of the ruling TPLF in the region.
On Wednesday, the UN signed a deal with the Ethiopian government and gained unrestricted access to the region to provide badly needed humanitarian relief.
A week ago, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed claimed victory. He said that military operation was successful, adding that the fighting was over after capturing the regional capital of Mekele.
Four weeks of fighting has forced some 45,500 people to flee to neighboring Sudan. And an unknown number of men, women and children have been displaced inside Tigray.
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.
