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Zambia vice president tests positive for Covid-19

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Zambia vice president tests positive for Covid-19 admin Fri, 08/21/2020 - 15:09

Thursday, August 20, 2020

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Zambia vice president tests positive for Covid-19

By Staff Reporter

ZAMBIA’s vice president Inonge Mutukwa has tested positive for coronavirus.
This was revealed in a tweet by President Edgar Lungu who wished his deputy good health.
“I have wished Her Honour the Republican Vice President Mrs Inonge Mutukwa Wina a quick recovery after she tested positive for #Covid_19 following a positive result of her daughter with whom she stays with,” Lungu said.
The 79-year-old politician’s condition was however said to be stable and she was recovering from home.

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UK: Zim nurse, 52, who claimed husband had died in ‘audacious’ bid to claim his £400k life insurance is struck off

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UK: Zim nurse, 52, who claimed husband had died in ‘audacious’ bid to claim his £400k life insurance is struck off

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Monday, June 6, 2022

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UK: Zim nurse, 52, who claimed husband had died in ‘audacious’ bid to claim his…

By MailOnline.co.uk

Thulile Bhebhe told insurers her husband had died while on holiday in Zimbabwe
But investigators found that he had been at work in London the very same day
She was convicted of fraud by false representation in November 2018
But Bhebhe lied on application form to secure new nursing job three weeks later
She started new role day after attending hearing informing her of suspension

A mother-of-two nurse who faked her husband’s death in an “audacious” attempt to claim a £400,000 life insurance payout before she lied to get another job while suspended has been struck off.

Thulile Bhebhe, 52, told insurers Aviva that her partner Bekezela Bhebhe had suffered a pulmonary embolism while on holiday in Zimbabwe in August 2016.

She maintained the claim for more than a year before investigators found Bekezela, who was also a nurse, was still alive and had worked a day shift at Charing Cross Hospital in London on the day she claimed he had died.

Bhebhe was convicted of a single count of fraud by false representation at Central London Magistrates’ Court in November 2018.

But just three weeks later, she lied about her criminal conviction on a McMillian Healthcare application.

She subsequently took a job with Bristol NHS Trust just a day after attending a Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing in which she was made subject to an interim suspension order while the regulator probed her conviction.

Bhebhe, originally from South Africa completed 35 shifts over two months for the trust before internal checks found she was working illegally.

The nurse was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years at Inner London Crown Court in March last year.

Her husband was cleared of the same offence at trial after a judge ruled there was no evidence that he had any knowledge of her fraudulent activity.

The court heard that Bhebhe, who had studied and worked in the UK for 14 years, was working for the NHS Direct phone services when she concocted the idea to forge her husband’s death certificate.

In September 2016, she sent Aviva a medical consent form and a medical certificate from a hospital in Zimbabwe claiming her husband has passed away on August 9.

But when Aviva investigators probed the claim in January 2017, they rang her husband’s workplace and found he had completed a shift on the very same day.

The couple were said to be in ‘dire financial straits’ owing tens of thousands of pounds in credit card debts, loans and tax.

Prosecutor Julian Pozimski said the case involved the provision of a life insurance policy worth a total of ‘£397, 153’.

But passing sentence last year, Judge Nigel Seed QC described Bhebhe’s life insurance claim as ‘an audacious fraud, but “sophisticated” is hardly the word one could apply to it’.

And following a Nursing and Midwifery misconduct hearing on May 27, she has now been struck off the medical register.

Panel chair Suzy Ashworth found that, following her conviction, Bhebhe ‘deliberately intended to conceal the existence’ of her fraud conviction on the McMillian Healthcare application form.

The panel concluded: “Your actions were significant departures from the standards expected of a registered nurse and are fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the register.

“The panel was of the view that the findings in this particular case demonstrate that your actions did raise fundamental questions about your professionalism and that to allow you to continue practising would undermine public confidence in the profession and in the NMC as a regulatory body.

“Balancing all of these factors and after taking into account all the evidence before it during this case, the panel determined that the appropriate and proportionate sanction is that of a striking-off order.

“Having regard to the effect of your actions in bringing the profession into disrepute by adversely affecting the public’s view of how a registered nurse should conduct themselves, the panel has concluded that nothing short of this would be sufficient in this case.

“The panel considered that your removal from the NMC register is necessary to mark the importance of maintaining public confidence in the profession, and to send to the public and the profession a clear message about the standard of behaviour required of a registered nurse.”

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SA: Xenophobic violence in Limpopo village divides police

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SA: Xenophobic violence in Limpopo village divides police

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Thursday, June 9, 2022

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SA: Xenophobic violence in Limpopo village divides police

By citizen.co.za

AMID strong allegations of police complicity, the fresh outbreak of xenophobic violence against Zimbabwean foreign nationals in a usually tranquil rural My Darling village in Limpopo has pitted a Hawks captain against an South African Police Service (Saps) station commander, with the local Saps most senior officer supporting villagers.

So heightened have tensions in My Darling become that a group of patrolling villagers – recognised by Maleboho police station commander Lieutenant-Colonel Dihangoane as having “done a good job in fighting theft in the area” – besieged the homestead of Hawks Captain Ballack Sebola, demanding that his traumatised domestic worker return to Zimbabwe.

Sebola, who has opened a case of intimidation and trespass, has relived his employee’s horror when a group of men surrounded the homestead, with some scaling the wall.

“Over the past two weekends, a large number of local men, operating like a vigilante group, arrived at my homestead when I was not there, demanding that my worker return to Zimbabwe.

“Due to the fact that I have a high wall, two managed to scale over into my yard during the first incident, telling him he should return to Zimbabwe.

“Despite the employee showing them documents from home affairs to prove his legal status in South Africa, they would not listen.

“He gave the group leader, who identified himself as ‘Mpago’, the phone to talk to me.

“He told me they did not want Zimbabweans in the area.

WATCH: ‘Foreign nationals not vulnerable to kidnappings for ransom’ – Hawks

“We then argued over his legal status, which they would not recognise – threatening that hell would break loose if I failed to comply. They then left my home.”

When the group returned to the homestead for the second time the following weekend, Sebola advised his domestic worker “not to run away because they could kill him”.

In an SMS seen by The Citizen, addressed to Saps provincial spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, Dihangoane praised the group “for their efforts in fighting crime in My Darling”.

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UK: ‘I still have the hunger’ – Derek Chisora vows to entertain against Kubrat Pulev

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UK: ‘I still have the hunger’ – Derek Chisora vows to entertain against Kubrat Pulev

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UK: ‘I still have the hunger’ – Derek Chisora vows to entertain against Kubrat …

By PA News Agency

Derek Chisora vows to knock out Kubrat Pulev in their July heavyweight bout
Chisora has lost his three previous fights, Pulev has lost only twice in 31 fights
Both huddled with Eddie Hearn and put pride on the line by making a secret bet

LONDON: Derek Chisora has promised to entertain when he takes on Kubrat Pulev at the O2 next month after he insisted the hunger to continue boxing remains there.

The 38-year-old will face the Bulgarian on July 9 in a rematch six years after the first bout between the duo in Germany.

Chisora lost a split decision for the vacant European heavyweight title in 2016, one of 12 defeats he has suffered in 44 fights, but the veteran is not ready to hang up the gloves despite suffering three consecutive losses.

“When they start singing that beautiful song – oh Derek Chisora – I get pumped up, I can’t help myself. The game plan goes out the window and I just let it go! I am excited,” he said from Canary Riverside Plaza Hotel on Friday.

“For me my plan is my fans, that is it. Entertainment is the plan. I have lost so many fights, I have won a couple of fights and I have won the things I wanted to win but it is irrelevant to me.

“I just prefer fighting. I wake up every morning, go training and I still have the hunger for it.

“I get these younger guys coming into the gym sparring with me and I see the fear in their eyes by the time they get to rounds three or four. I am still hungry, I still want to fight and cause damage to people. I want to entertain.”

Chisora was supremely confident despite having lost his last three bouts consecutively

While there were no pre-meditated antics from Chisora at this press conference in London – he had grabbed the back of Pulev’s head sparking a min-brawl ahead of their 2016 fight – a wager was made between the boxers.

Zimbabwe-born Chisora bet an unspecified amount that he would knock his opponent out, which was eventually agreed by the 41-year-old.

Pulev had started the press conference talking about his respect for ‘Del Boy’ but did reveal his burning desire to get another world title shot having lost to Anthony Joshua at the end of 2020 at Wembley Arena.

He added: “I am concentrated on this fight and after that (the) world title, this is my dream and I am going to take this.

“Derek is a difficult opponent but we have a little bit of history. Now a couple of years after my win I feel good and better because I teach and learn a lot of things from my fights.

“I have more experience and so my fight against Joshua here in London, I was not good prepared, before I was with Covid and I don’t say nothing in the media, but I don’t prepare good.

“Now I am healthy, I am good and here to fight against my friend Derek.”

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Calls for diaspora vote grow louder

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Calls for diaspora vote grow louder

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Monday, June 13, 2022

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Calls for diaspora vote grow louder

By Staff Reporter

CALLS are growing louder for a constitutional amendment to allow for diaspora vote ahead of next year’s general elections.

Former Ntabazinduna Chief, Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni, added his influential voice to the calls saying unless the more than five million Zimbabweans domiciled in the diaspora are allowed to vote, the election would be a nullity.

His calls come at a time Zanu PF, diametrically opposed to diaspora vote, is persecuting Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda after he indicated he was an avid supporter of diaspora vote and openly called on government to spearhead the necessary statutory amendments.

Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa last week said the Speaker had crossed the line.

Government is under pressure from civic groups and opposition parties to allow diasporans to vote in next year’s polls.

Ndiweni, who is the chairperson of MyRight2Vote pressure group, based in the United Kingdom, said holding an election without citizens based in foreign lands would render the outcome illegitimate.

“As a person who has been complaining about diaspora voting, this is a burning issue. It is a human right to be allowed to vote. About 5,5 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora have been denied their right to vote. To make things worse, this human right was promised during the war of liberation by Zanu PF, by Zapu,” Ndiweni said.

“So, we have a deep historical basis for demanding this right because wherever we look, this right was given and it has been taken from the Zimbabwean populace in the diaspora. The population in the diaspora is nearly 50% of the voting population in Zimbabwe. This is a formidable percentage,” he said.

“As MyRight2Vote, we are working very hard in preparation for the results night so that we put things in place to force the whole process to a standstill so that the diaspora vote is included,” he added.

Soon after the disputed July 2018 harmonised elections, observer missions called on the government to facilitate postal voting for every Zimbabwean abroad as guaranteed under section 67 of the Constitution but Zanu PF has thrown spanners on the way.

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Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe cedes 76,4% stake

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 01:50:01 +0000

Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe cedes 76,4% stake

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Tuesday, June 7, 2022

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Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe cedes 76,4% stake

By Alois Vinga

LISTED cement manufacturer, Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe (LACZ) has entered into a binding agreement for the disposal of its 76,45% stake to Fossil Mines Private Limited.

The development follows months of negotiations with different suitors who were bidding to acquire the stake.

In a statement Tuesday, LACZ acting company secretary Arnold Chikazhe informed stakeholders that “Further to the cautionary announcement dated 31 May 2022, shareholders and members of the investing public are advised that Associated International Cement Limited, a member of the Holcim group, has entered into a binding agreement for the sale of its 76.45% stake in Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe Limited to Fossil Mines (Private) Limited”.

He added: “The transaction, if successfully concluded, may have a material effect on the Company’s securities. Accordingly, shareholders and members of the investing public are advised to exercise caution when dealing in the Company’s securities until a full announcement is made”.

The disposal of Holcim’s Zimbabwean shareholding follows prior disposals of Holcim shareholding in the Northern Ireland, Zambian and Malawian markets amid plans that the group is in the process of disposing its Indian cement business.

On 25 January 2022 the group announced the intention to dispose of their 76,45% shareholding in LACZ as part of their strategy to divest from the cement manufacturing business before inviting interested bidders to submit their expressions of interest to its Financial Advisors, ABSA Corporate and Investment Banking in South Africa.

Internal documents seen by NewZimbabwe.com Business show that Fossil’s offer is backed by local banks, pension funds and wealth managers.

Fossil engaged local Financial Advisors, and Commercial Attorneys to act on its behalf on the bid as well as Cliff, Decker and Hofmeyer of South Africa to act as its Transaction Advisory Team.

“As part of evaluating the bids Holcim invited the bidders to South Africa for negotiations. The final round of negotiations between Holcim and Fossil took place in South Africa from 28 May 2022 to 30 May 2022 wherein Fossil’s offer to acquire 76,45% of Lafarge Zimbabwe was accepted,” the documents said.

However, the transaction is still pending due to further due diligence of the asset and regulatory approvals.

“Should Fossil takeover Lafarge, the planned strategy is to maintain Lafarge as a Listed business and also recapitalize Lafarge leading to an increase in the cement output from the plant.

“Currently, 40% of Zimbabwe’s cement requirements are imported, an opportunity that Fossil wants to capitalize on by providing the market with readily available cement,” added the documents.

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ZCTU slams Mthuli Ncube’s “anti-people” policies

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ZCTU slams Mthuli Ncube’s “anti-people” policies

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ZCTU slams Mthuli Ncube’s “anti-people” policies

By Alois Vinga

THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) have criticised Finance and Economic development minister Mthuli Ncube for pursuing economic policies which have worsened the plight of workers and ordinary citizens since his appointment back in 2018.

The conglomeration of trade unions raised concerns over the galloping inflation, which rose to 131,7% as at May 2022, becoming the second highest inflation rate on the African continent.

This correspondingly resulted in prices for basic goods and services rocketing.

In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, ZCTU acting secretary general Runesu Dzimiri criticised Ncube for continuously misleading other government stakeholders through unyielding policies.

“As labour we contend that workers and ordinary citizens have not enjoyed a decent life since Ncube came on board. The bulk of his economic policies are high sounding but failing in essence to lift our members from the pit of extreme poverty,” Dzimiri said.

“Of note is the price of daily basic commodities like bread, cooking oil, fuel, and transport fares which are out of reach for the generality of the population and within this melee we are worried as to exactly where the treasury boss thinks we are heading to,” he said.

He said currently, workers and citizens no longer afford even the barest of basics like bread which now costs over ZW$600 per loaf with the average monthly cost of living for an average family being well above ZW$100 000-00.

“One then wonders the source of wisdom prompting authorities to sit down and decide that the minimum wage be a paltry ZW$25 000. Worse still, just recently the government approved ZW$10 000 as the minimum wage for domestic workers,” said Dzimiri.

He further said if Ncube was sincere and honest, he should have given the proper advice to other government counterparts as well as investing meaningful efforts in formalising the country’s economy and dealing with such weaknesses which have defeated smooth implementation of broad economic reforms.

“It appears the treasury boss is out to sabotage the government, ruling Zanu PF party and the people of Zimbabwe at large. Why does he proceed with opaque and unyielding economic policies?” Dzimiri querried.

The ZCTU secretary called upon the government to take a proactive approach to tame inflation and prioritise the general welfare of the citizenry through a radical urgent policy shift and added that if the current situation is left unattended it risks becoming unsustainable and may catalyse civil unrest.

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UK finance minister commends appointment of Zimbabwean to Bank of England committee

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UK finance minister commends appointment of Zimbabwean to Bank of England committee

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UK finance minister commends appointment of Zimbabwean to Bank of England commi…

UK correspondent

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak has welcomed the appointment of Zimbabwe-born Marjorie Ngwenya as an external member of the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Committee (PRC).

The committee supervises the conduct of banks, insurers and major investment firms.

Ngwenya, a former president of the UK Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, will take over from Norval Bryson as an external member of the committee from Sept. 5, the finance ministry said in a statement.

Sunak confirmed the appointment last Thursday.

“Marjorie’s experience in international financial services will add valuable insight and expertise to the Prudential Regulation Committee.

Marjorie Ngwenya

“I would also like to thank Norval Bryson for his contributions to the Committee,” said thee UK treasury chief.

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, said: “I am delighted to welcome Marjorie to the Prudential Regulation Committee. She brings a wealth of experience on the insurance side and will make a valuable contribution to the work of the Committee.

“Her senior leadership experience, including from her role as President of the IFoA, will be invaluable for our work on the Solvency II reforms and the future regulatory framework. I look forward to working with her in the coming years.”

For her part, Ngwenya said; “I am delighted to be appointed as an external member of the Prudential Regulation Committee as it considers a number of important issues, including the Future Regulatory Framework Review and Solvency II reforms.

“I look forward to contributing my international financial services experience in support of the work of the Committee.”

Ngwenya serves an independent non-executive director at Tangerine Life (Nigeria) and its holding company Tangerine Financial. She is the chairperson of the Canon Collins Trust (UK) and a trustee of the Legal Resources Centre (South Africa).

In her executive career, Ngwenya was a member of the Group Executive Committee of Liberty Group in South Africa, serving as Chief Strategist. Prior to that, she was Chief Risk Officer for Old Mutual’s African Operations.

An actuary, Ngwenya holds a Sloan MSc in Leadership and Strategy from the London Business School. She is also an executive coach and an advocate for diversity, equality and inclusion.

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Godfrey Musuka Honored As PEPFAR HIV Hero

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Godfrey Musuka Honored As PEPFAR HIV Hero

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Monday, December 27, 2021

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Godfrey Musuka Honored As PEPFAR HIV Hero

Global Health

THE U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has honoured ICAP in Zimbabwe’s country director, Godfrey Musuka, DVM, MSc (Med), MPhil, Ph.D., as one of 12 individuals who have made a significant impact in the response to HIV and helped steer Zimbabwe on the path towards epidemic control.

Musuka and fellow PEPFAR heroes were honored at a ceremony on November 29, 2021, held by the US Embassy in Zimbabwe in honor of World AIDS Day.

PEPFAR partnered with the Zimbabwe National Network for People Living with HIV (ZNNP+) in a nationwide call to Zimbabweans to nominate community members for the PEPFAR Heroes award.

The award celebrates heroes who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to create an enabling environment for people living with HIV to access health-related services. Thomas Hastings, the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Harare, commended Musuka, sharing “Godfrey is a hero who has dedicated his career to shedding light on the epidemic through data.”

A public health and data expert with over 25 years of experience implementing health interventions, Musuka has led ICAP in Zimbabwe for seven years as the country director. In that time, he shepherded the first and second the Zimbabwe Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (ZIMPHA) surveys, which revealed the country is on track to achieve HIV epidemic control by 2030.

Recognized for his leadership in conducting the surveys, Masuka was selected out of more than 100 notable people nominated for the award.

Twenty semi-finalists were carefully chosen by a five-member committee with representatives from the private sector, civil society, UNAIDS, and the media. The 12 finalists were selected through public voting and endorsements from community members.

For Musuka, being a PEPFAR Hero is a significant achievement. “I am proud to have assisted my country in addressing a critical public health crisis.”

However, he believes more work remains to meet the 2030 goals. “The key area where the HIV response in Zimbabwe remains weak is addressing the 95-95-95 [UNAIDS goals] among key populations, especially targeting men who have sex with men due to the criminalization of their activities,” Musuka said.

“We need to make it easier for key populations to access HIV testing, treatment, and care services.”

About ICAP

A major global health organisation that has been improving public health in countries around the world for nearly two decades, ICAP works to transform the health of populations through innovation, science, and global collaboration. Based at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, ICAP has projects in more than 30 countries, working side-by-side with ministries of health and local governmental, non-governmental, academic, and community partners to confront some of the world’s greatest health challenges.

Through evidence-informed programs, meaningful research, tailored technical assistance, effective training and education programmes, and rigorous surveillance to measure and evaluate the impact of public health interventions, ICAP aims to realize a global vision of healthy people, empowered communities, and thriving societies.

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Firefighters Join Nurses In Leaving Zimbabwe For Better Pay Abroad

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Firefighters Join Nurses In Leaving Zimbabwe For Better Pay Abroad

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Firefighters Join Nurses In Leaving Zimbabwe For Better Pay Abroad

AL JAZEERA

SAMUEL Chikengezha, a 35-year-old fireman, sits on a sofa in his modest home, staring at the television set while he stresses over how he’ll make ends meet this month.

He has not yet paid school fees for his three children, he said – one of many financial challenges he faces because the money he pulls in as a first responder in Zimbabwe has not kept pace with inflation for years.

“I survive on borrowings from friends and family to get by as the money is barely enough,” he told Al Jazeera.

Like many of his colleagues, Chikengezha reckons the solution to his financial woes is to leave Zimbabwe for a higher-paying job abroad.

“I want to leave the country. Every one of us wants to leave for other countries. We are all in waiting mode, really,” he said. “Once an opportunity presents itself, I am out.”

Zimbabwe’s economy was already on its knees before the pandemic struck, and COVID-19 has only made things worse.

Salaries are stagnant, foreign currency is in short supply, and the purchasing power of the Zimbabwean dollar continues to erode, with annual inflation topping 60 percent at the close of last year. Manufacturing is low, and poverty is rising along with prices for everything, including essentials like food and fuel.

Now the economic carnage is threatening essential public services by triggering a massive brain drain in critical sectors.

Harare City Council, which runs the Zimbabwean capital’s fire department, said the city lost 125 firefighters last year.

Council spokesperson Innocent Ruwende told Al Jazeera that they left to chase more lucrative jobs overseas, mostly in Middle East Gulf states.

“Our firefighters are in demand because they are highly trained,” he said.

The draw of higher pay, better conditions

The allure of a more lucrative, more stable payday abroad is an enticing proposition for Chikengezha, who currently brings home $200 a month.

“Entry salaries [abroad] are somewhere in the region of $1,300-$1,500,” he said.

t’s not just firefighters who are chasing bigger paycheques. Brain drain is also roiling Zimbabwe’s healthcare sector. With the pandemic increasing demand for healthcare workers around the globe, Zimbabwe lost some 2,000 healthcare professionals last year, according to state media. That is more than double the exodus rate of 2020.

The President of the Zimbabwe Nurses Association, Enock Dongo, told Al Jazeera that poor remuneration and working conditions are compelling more nurses to seek positions outside of the troubled Southern African nation, where nurses earn less than $200 a month.

“The salaries of nurses in Zimbabwe are too low. Even when compared to peers in the Southern African region, Zimbabwean nurses are the least paid,” Dongo told Al Jazeera.

He also noted that a lack of personal protective equipment has made conditions for nurses in Zimbabwe “really dangerous”.

The public outcry

As the number of firefighters dwindles, a public outcry has ensued, accusing the first responders of poor services.

In November, Harare’s fire department was heavily criticised over a penthouse blaze that cost the life of investment banker Douglas Munatsi.

Acting Chief Fire Officer Clever Mafoti defended the performance of the fire department, saying trees had prevented aerial ladders from being deployed to rescue Munatsi on the ninth floor.

And while Mafoti acknowledges that an exodus of firefighters is having an impact, he insists the service is still there for the people of Harare when it counts.

“Our ability to execute our duties has been ailing or diminishing but we are still able to fulfill our duties,” he told Al Jazeera. “We have not reached a stage where we have failed to discharge our duties and just let people’s properties burn to the ground.”

But Mafoti said financial constraints are taking a toll beyond personnel shortages – specifically with ageing fire trucks.

“[The city] council has promised us some vehicles, but as you know, this is normally a process,” he said.

On the healthcare front, pregnant women in Glen View and Budiriro, both high-density suburbs south of Harare, no longer have antenatal care at specialty clinics because there are no nurses on staff to provide those services.

“Specially trained nurses such as antenatal ones have left to look for better opportunities elsewhere,” said Harare City Council spokesperson Ruwende, adding that he’s looking for partners to provide funding in United States dollars to hire increasingly scarce talent.

“People prefer to earn US dollars and they are refusing our offers for jobs,” he said.

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