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After 30 years of dominating South African politics, the ruling African National Congress will face its toughest election Wednesday as most opinion polls predict it will lose its parliamentary majority for the first time
Critics have called it a stunt to invite sympathy. Yet Amuriat says campaigning without shoes is a protest and that those who do not get its symbolism are missing a point.
Uganda is due to hold a general election on January 14. Amuriat and another opposition candidate, Bobi Wine have had their rallies violently dispersed by security forces or been arrested.
In mid-November, scores of people were killed as security forces attempted to quell protests against the arrest and detention of Bobi Wine.
Police has accused the candidates of addressing huge gatherings in contravention of regulations on COVID-19 prevention.
Swollen feet
In an interview with one of the dailies in Uganda, Amuriat said his feet hurt a lot and has to pour cold water on them in between campaign stops for some relief.
Doctors have cautioned him on the potential danger of contracting tetanus from cuts to his feet.
Yet Amuriat remains adamant. He says by refusing to wear shoes, he’s standing in solidarity with people whose wealth and opportunities have been stolen by the country’s longtime ruler Yoweri Museveni.
JUST IN: FDC presidential candidate Patrick Amuriat has been arrested at the border of Rubirizi and Bushenyi districts. The reason for his arrest is yet to be known📹 @MukhayeD#MonitorUpdates#UGDecides2021 pic.twitter.com/xopK4FMoD0
— Daily Monitor (@DailyMonitor) December 4, 2020
Museveni, in power since 1986 is seeking a new term. In 2017, he changed the constitution to remove age limits that would have stopped him from seeking re-election.
FDC is Uganda’s largest opposition party. In 3 previous elections, the party fronted veteran activist and retired army colonel Kizza Besigye for president.
ZIMBABWE’S home based footballers are set for a further and probably lengthy period on the sidelines after Zifa turned down the government’s proposed road map to the resumption of football at competitive level. by KEVIN MAPASURE The government proposed a Premier Soccer League tournament initially contested in a mini league format in different parts of the country before regional winners met for the semi-final and the finals. All matches would have been played in a bio-bubble to try and curb the spread of the coronavirus. But Zifa have since shot the idea down, despite having appeared to have warmed up to it earlier and are now working towards the resumption of football at all levels in March. Zifa’s proposal now faces resistance from the government, who insist that football should only be played in a controlled environment, which brings up the bio-buddle concept that Zifa cannot fully fund. SRC board member Nigel Munyati said that by turning down the government proposed road map, Zifa will only delay the return of competitive action since government will insist on starting with the topflight in a controlled environment before cascading to the lower leagues. Last week, Zifa wrote to its affiliates proposing that they start training on January 4 to prepare for the resumption of competitive action during the first week of March. “The minister (Kirsty Coventry) was very concerned that we were going towards the end of the year (and) there were no tangible efforts to resume football. So the minister came to us and asked for ideas on how we could implement the resumption of football,” Munyati said. “That is how the mini league and the bubble concept came about. So we consulted and spoke to various stakeholders in football and the idea was that we would cascade it. We start with the main league which is the PSL and see how we can resume PSL in a managed and safe environment. There was no way we could say Zifa everyone can start playing football, so we asked them to work with us in this proposal which they agreed to and were actually going to implement. PSL was very happy, I can tell you that today.” He said that Zifa made a surprise U-turn having initially agreed to the proposal. “For some reason, Zifa despite us being in meetings with the minister where they also agreed to the concept, they now seem to feel that it wasn’t the right approach and they are now calling it elitist. So what we had hoped that after we had resumed PSL the next level would have been Division One, so since we didn’t do that it means come next year, we are going to have to do something that follows the same steps and all it does is further delay the resumption of football. They are basically telling the minister that we don’t like your idea and that’s why we are where we are today.” After it became clear that Zifa had abandoned the mini league and were working towards resumption in March, some PSL clubs have since abandoned training. Follow Kevin on Twitter @KevinMapasure
In Columbus, Ohio, a venue hosted an R&B concert, which hosted 500 people despite the coronavirus pandemic. According to The... View Article
The post 500 people attend Trey Songz concert, club cited for virus violations appeared first on TheGrio.
When it comes to SA cities, expats voiced particular dissatisfaction with the political stability, their personal safety, and the public transportation infrastructure.
Polaris opened the door for more people to experience the unique-looking vehicles when the company introduced its new AutoDrive transmission system. For the 2021 Slingshot model, Polaris brings back the popular feature with new updates plus some other new features that Slingshot owners have been asking for.
Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media More than half of California is now under a regional stay-at-home order. Last week, when the governor announced the impending shutdown, he said health officials had carved the state into five regions. Their goal is to coordinate a broad emergency response that would reach across county lines and consider […]
The post As California Shuts Down Again, GOP Lawmakers Push for Health, Education Data appeared first on Black Voice News.
SA and England will meet for the first time since the 2019 Rugby World Cup final when they clash on the Springboks’ end of year tour.
Rashida Jones, a cable news industry veteran, will be MSNBC's next president, NBCUniversal News Group Chair Cesar Conde said Monday.
The lifting of lockdown restrictions has led to increased spending by consumers and a resurgence across industries, allowing GDP to rise.
[Monitor] The government has said they have had to review the National Development Plan programmes as the country struggles to control the spread of Coronavirus and learning to live with it.
Two men have been convicted for 'terrorist offences' on Tuesday, after they planned a series of racially-motivated attacks as part of the Crusaders group.
… in Tennessee that focuses on African American music will open next month … said.
The National Museum of African American Music will host a socially … celebrating the history of of African American music.
“We have been preparing …
By ZEKE MILLER and JONATHAN LEMIRE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration is facing new scrutiny Tuesday after failing to lock in a chance to buy millions of additional doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, which has shown to be highly effective against COVID-19. That decision could delay the delivery of a second batch of doses until Pfizer fulfills other international contracts. The revelation comes as Trump's plans to host a White House summit aimed at celebrating the expected approval of the first vaccine later this week. His administration is seeking to tamp down public skepticism over the […]
The post Feds passed up chance to lock in more Pfizer vaccine doses appeared first on Black News Channel.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent As citizens in Ghana are poised to pick the country’s next president, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, recalled the impact of former President Jerry Rawlings, who died on November 12, at the age of 73. “President Jerry Rawlings played a critical role in the history of Ghana, leading the country for twenty years and overseeing its transition to a stable, multiparty democracy,” Waters noted. “President Rawlings was democratically elected in 1992 and again in 1996 and presided over numerous economic and political reforms. When his […]
The post Waters Remembers Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings on Eve of Country's Election appeared first on Black News Channel.
… ’s “The Situation Room” that African-Americans will have more confidence in … poll shows only 42% of African-Americans say they would definitely or … , to the Tuskegee experiment on African-Americans being intentionally injected with a …
Multi Grammy Award-winning platinum selling artist, Lecrae, has received two 2021 Grammy Award nominations this year. The first in the category of Best Christian Contemporary Music Performance/Song for “Sunday Morning,” featuring Kirk Franklin. The song is featured on his ninth studio album, Restoration, which was released his own imprint, Reach Records on August 21, 2020. … Continued
The post Multi-Platinum award Winning Artist, LECRAE, gets Grammy nods appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.
Up in arms over the Egyptian President's state visit to France, around 20 protesters gathered outside the Paris National Assembly late on Monday, shouting \"down with dictatorship\".
The demonstration outside the parliament painted a very different picture to earlier in the day when France welcomed President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with a cavalry parade through Paris.
Before the three-day visit, rights groups accused France of indulging President al-Sisi's \"brutal repression of any form of dissent\".
\"We've come across a President of the Republic who welcomes the butcher of Cairo, the butcher of Egypt, in great pomp, on a state visit, with the Republican Guard,\" said François de Roche, chief of the NGO Justice and Rights Without Borders.
\"We have fallen on our heads. This is unacceptable. France, the country of Human Rights, cannot accept this.\"
But French President Emmanuel Macron refrained from direct criticism of former army general Sisi, who has cracked down on supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, as well as on leftists and liberals.
Macron told a joint press conference with Sisi that he would not condition the sale of weapons to Egypt and trade ties on human rights as he did not want to weaken Cairo’s ability to counter-terrorism in the region.
\"I think it is more effective to have a policy of dialogue than a policy of boycott which would reduce the effectiveness of one of our partners in the fight against terrorism and for regional stability,\" he said.
To force the issue of human rights would be both \"ineffective on the subject of human rights and counter-productive in the fight against terrorism, that's why I won't do it,\" he added
Hubs in the UK are starting the rollout by vaccinating the over-80s and some health and care staff.
Now that Zimbabwe has reopened its land borders to visitors, why not explore 'The Smoke that Thunders'?
PAN-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom has won the prestigious Environmental Stewardship Award for excellence in Environmental Management Practices. BY Harriet Chikandiwa The award was presented by CSR Zimbabwe in partnership with the Environmental Management Agency. It is awarded for achievement in protecting natural resources, reducing impacts to the environment and promoting environmentally sustainable operations. “We are honoured to be recognised for our efforts in this area. Liquid Telecom Zimbabwe has made substantial strides in creating an environmentally-friendly business, and we believe that it is this ongoing commitment that is helping to deliver accelerated economic development in Zimbabwe and expanding job opportunities for its youth,” regional chief executive officer of Southern Africa at Liquid Telecom Wellington Makamure said. The Environmental Stewardship Award is in recognition of organisations that have displayed leadership in environmental compliance — associated with the organisation’s activities including the creation and implementation of an environmental awareness management programme. “As the chosen recipient of this year’s award, Liquid Telecom was commended for continuously reviewing and enhancing its environmental and safety risk registers by identifying potential impacts and risks of its activities and end products,” Makamure said. He said the company had put measures in place to mitigate against any potential environmental and safety threats while complying with environmental legislation and international best practice. “Liquid Telecom values its employees, contractors, customers, and the environment in which we operate. We, therefore, recognise the importance of continuously reviewing our integrated approach to safety as well as responsible and sustainable environment management,” Makamure said. Follow Harriet on Twitter@harrietchikand1
BULAWAYO youths linked to the militant Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) on Friday stopped a mining syndicate from prospecting for gold in the Matobo Hills World Heritage Site. BY NQOBANI NDLOVU In September, government bowed to pressure from Domboshaba villagers in Matobo district, Matabeleland South, and stopped a mining syndicate from conducting mining operations within the heritage site. This was after miners calling themselves Mazinahue Syndicate wanted to engage in mining activities armed with a fake prospecting licence from the Mines and Mining Development ministry to prospect for gold, but they were stopped by locals. In the latest incident, the mining syndicate returned to resume operations but was overpowered by locals who ganged up with MRP youths to stop them. “It appears the measure (evict ion of the syndicate in September) was just temporary, meant to blindfold MRP and Matobo community,” the MRP president Mqondisi Moyo said. “This is confirmed by the return of the invaders two weeks ago, and this time bringing with them fake letters from the Mines ministry and Matobo Rural District Council. “However, the MRP youths could not brook the nonsense, but ordered them to pack all their equipment and other stuff into the MRP truck… this was a victory worth celebrating by ululations.” Matobo District Development Co-ordinator Obey Chaputsira could not be reached for comment on his mobile phone. In September, Chaputsira said no mining would take place at the heritage site. He promised villagers that any such activity would be stopped. Land disputes involving villagers and mining syndicates are on the increase in Matabeleland South, where there are gold mining deposits. Reports indicate that mining syndicates work in cahoots with Mines and Lands and Resettlement ministry officials to evict villagers to ensure easy access to gold deposits.
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s largest mobile network operator, Econet Wireless, has revised its voice, data and SMS bundle prices upwards, by an average 20 percent increment, in an effort to recover value eroded due to currency devaluation and other rising costs of key network inputs. The new tariffs are effective 10 December 2020. The mobile operator incurred exchange losses of ZW$10,3 billion in the half-year to August 2020 as a result of exposure in foreign currency denominated obligations. “The business continuously reviews its pricing in line with changes in the operating environment to ensure it remains viable, while retaining good quality of service and offering affordable products,” Econet said. The listed telecommunications company earlier said it was transforming itself into a digital service provider, and remained “committed to innovative approaches to deliver these (digital) services and ensure our customers get the best quality voice, data and SMS-based products”. Econet last adjusted its voice and data tariffs in September, but since that time, the price of many goods and services that constitute critical costs to the business, have skyrocketed, putting pressure on the company’s bottom line. In particular, the price of electricity has doubled (gone up 100%) while diesel has gone up by 32% since September. Econet and other telecommunication companies rely on electricity and diesel-generated power to keep their network services up and running. According to the latest schedule, Econet has reviewed its Bundle of Joy voice bundles from ZW$4,04 to ZW$4,25 per two minutes, while a 20 megabyte (MB) daily data bundle now costs ZW$17, up from ZW$13. A monthly 100MB data bundle has been reviewed upwards from ZW$67 to ZW$84, while the 8GB Private Wifi bundle has been adjusted from ZW$960 to ZW$1 500. At the same time, subscribers are now be required to pay ZW$0.36 to send an SMS, up from ZW$0.32. Although Econet service delivery has been affected by electricity load shedding like many Zimbabwean companies, stimming its revenue generation capacity, the group has however devised methods of continuing to provide quality services to its subscribers. “We maintained quality of service despite the numerous challenges facing businesses in Zimbabwe. In particular, limited foreign currency and disruptions in power supply continue to put a significant strain on our ability to provide uninterrupted excellent service,” said the company Chairman James Myers in a statement accompanying Econet’s half-year results to August 2020. “Our mitigation strategies, which include moving to remote monitoring and operation of our network, as well as reducing our reliance on power from the grid through DPA, were critical to our success,” he said, adding that the company expected at least an additional 18 MW of power to be availed by DPA (an Econet group Solar power company) by the end of the financial year.
A parliament brawl broke out in the Democratic Republic of Congo Monday with ministers overturning desks and throwing chairs after President Felix Tshisekedi moved to scrap the ruling coalition.
Tshisekedi announced on Sunday he planned to form a new coalition, in which ministers loyal to his predecessor Joseph Kabila command more than 300 seats in the 500-member parliament.
He said he may have to dissolve parliament and hold a fresh election if he could not form a new coalition.
\"The present majority has crumbled and a new majority is required,\" he said, adding that if he failed to form a new coalition, fresh elections would be the solution \"using the constitutional prerogatives that have been invested in me to come back to you, a sovereign people, and ask for a majority\".
In 2019 Tshisekedi took over from Joseph Kabila, who was in office for 18 years. But he need to forge a coalition with the pro-Kabila FCC, which has prevented much-needed reform.
In October, Tshisekedi revealed there had been discord over major issues with the FCC-dominated government.
These included national security, the management of state assets, the independence of the judiciary and the organisation of elections.
Parliament said the plenary session had been deferred to another date, denouncing the \"destruction\" of furniture and \"the presence of armed bodyguards inside the assembly.\"
Tshisekedi meanwhile held emergency talks with pro-Kabila Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga on Monday afternoon.
The FCC said on Monday that Tshisekedi's declaration was \"a flagrant and intentional breach of the constitution\".
It said it would ask Kabila to give \"his version of events\", and asked the \"people to remain mobilised against an attempt to hijack its will freely expressed at the ballot box\".
Last week, the FCC accused Tshisekedi supporters of trying to bribe deputies to switch parties. The president's supporters then sought the resignation of the pro-Kabila speaker of the lower house.
The growing tensions have sparked international alarm with the African Union calling on the country's leaders to \"work resolutely and sincerely for national harmony and to preserve peace and stability\".
Ben Stokes' father Ged Stokes, a New Zealand rugby league international, has died after a battle with brain cancer.
THE National Social Security Authority (Nssa) says it plans to scale up it’s shareholding in the pan African development financial institution, Africa Import Export Bank (Afreximbank) by deploying funds generated when it hived off its shareholding in ZB Financial Holdings Limited (ZBFHL). BY MELODY CHIKONO In 2017, Nssa splurged US$20 million for a stake in Afreximbank, as part of a broad strategy that is meant to bolster the fund’s balance sheet through diversifying investments. A Nssa executive told NewsDay Business last week that the fresh investment into Afreximbank formed part for the State-run pay-as-you-go fund’s ambition to continue unlocking value for thousands of pensioners with savings under its stewardship. The authority recently offloaded its 37,79% stake in ZBFHL where it pocketed US$ 11,46 million in the deal. It was not clear if the entire package would be invested in Afreximbank. But the fund is also mulling to expand its pan-African holdings with an investment in the Lagos headquartered Africa Reinsurance Corporation (Africa Re). Africa Re is one of the region’s biggest reinsurers with a footprint in 41 Africa countries through approximately 107 insurance and reinsurance companies, which was founded on February 24 1976 in Yaounde, Cameroon, making it Africa's first continental reinsurer. It says it is continually combing through the markets to find the right assets to invest in. Nssa communications manager Tendai Mutseyekwa said the authority had pocketed US$1,18 million in dividends out of its Afreximbank investment and was determined to make fresh inroads into one of the region’s most influential financial institutions. “For our offshore investments, we are currently invested in Afreximbank, Quilter and Nedbank, which are both offshoots of Old Mutual,” Mutseyekwa told this paper. Quilter Plc, formerly known as Old Mutual Wealth Management Limited, is a financial services company formed to take over the United Kingdom wealth management business of Old Mutual Plc, after its separation of business. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. “With these proceeds we are looking at enhancing our investments in Afreximbank because of the dividend and then also look at other equity investments. But mainly we want to shore up our investments with Afreximbank. We are actually trying to unlock value for the benefit of the scheme,” he said. Generally, Nssa’s investment portfolio is valued at $30,48 billion. It is spread across a wide spectrum of asset classes and industries including equities, properties, offshore investments and fixed income. These include investments in equities on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange valued at $19,1 billion, investments in shares of unlisted companies valued at $149 million and foreign investments valued at $1,9 billion. The authority’s fixed income is valued at $770 million. Nssa received more than $60 million in dividends from companies it invested in during the first half of this year. Follow Melody on Twitter @melodychikono
… who would be the first African American secretary of defense.
But … , doctors struggle to sell Black Americans on the vaccine.
“Fewer … than half of Black Americans say they would get a … at best, with many Black Americans … saying they want more …
