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By VENERANDA LANGA GOVERNMENT has gazetted the Provincial Councils Administration Amendment Bill which will align the Provincial Councils and Administration Act to the 2013 Constitution and operationalise devolution. The Bill comes soon after Parliamentarians last month grilled Local Government deputy minister Marian Chombo over failure by her ministry to release funds allocated towards devolution in terms of section 301(3) of the Constitution. Chombo said there was need for a devolution law which would ensure that the funds were channelled to different provinces and local authorities, so that they could spearhead developmental projects. However, some of the amendments in the Provincial Councils and Administration Amendment Bill will give powers to Provincial Affairs ministers, who are central government appointees. Section 2 of the Provincial Councils and Administration Act will, for instance, be amended by the deletion of “Provincial Governors” wherever it appears and will be substituted by “Minister of State and Devolution”. Constitutional expert and law lecturer James Tsabora said the Bill needed thorough scrutiny by policymakers before it is passed as it gave too much power to central government and was not in tandem with the spirit of devolution in most of its provisions. “There are several provisions in the Bill that do not promote the essence of devolution. There is retention of powers of central government in certain key areas and this needs to be revisited,” Tsabora said. “There is also duplication of roles in the Bill; as is the role and function of Provincial Affairs ministers and provincial developmental co-ordinators. As it stands, the several bodies created has duplicated roles and responsibilities and this is unnecessary. “The Bill downplays the roles of the metropolitan and provincial councils, instead of being centred on these. In some way, the Bill anticipates problems that might be caused by multi -partysm. It makes sure that it sticks with the Provincial Affairs minister and provincial development co-ordinators, who are central government appointees.” Government also gazetted the Public Finance Management Bill, which will amend section 4(1) of the Public Finance Management Act to provide for provincial and metropolitan councils and local authorities.
The post Bill to operationalise devolution gazetted appeared first on NewsDay Zimbabwe.
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 flamboyant Nairobi city governor, Mike Mbuvi Sonko has been impeached by members of the county assembly.
88 members of the county assembly voted to support the impeachment motion while 2 others voted against the move.
The embattled governor is being accused of gross violation of the Constitution and other laws, abuse of office, commission of crimes under the national laws and lacking the mental capability to run the county government.
The flashy governor, always in love with gold, survived the first impeachment motion in February this year.
Sonko has been at loggerhead with the national government especially President Uhuru Kenyatta whom he accuse of meddling into Nairobi county matters.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had earlier formed the Nairobi Metropolitan Services headed by the army general, Mohammed Badi to oversee various developmet agendeas of the city.
This later brought am issue between the governor and the head of NMS with the former now blaming the national government for his woes.
Sonko has maintained innocence and has labled the recent move as uncesseary and will not be intimidated in his political ambition and duty to the Nairobians.
He’s the middle brother of Lonzo Ball and LaMelo Ball.
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 15 July 2020: Social media is awash with videos of several communities, roads and valleys inundated by heavy rains in Freetown, threatening to trigger serious flooding and possible mudslide, reminiscent of the 2017 mudlslide disaster that took the lives of over a thousand people, mostly children and [Read More]
A retired French surgeon has been sentenced to 15 years in jail at the end of his closed-doors trial for the rape and sexual abuse of four children in the first part of France's biggest ever paedophilia case.
Joel Le Scouarnec, 70, remained impassive as the verdict was read out on Thursday at the court in Saintes, western France, keeping his arms crossed without a glance at his victims, who embraced each other, overcome with emotion.
Le Scouarnec, who could have faced 20 years behind bars after being found guilty on all charges, will also be subject to a three-year supervision order at the end of his sentence. He has 10 days to appeal.
Judge Isabelle Fachaux said that despite a 2005 conviction for viewing child pornography, Le Scouarnec had continued to offend, making a lengthy jail term necessary.
\"We are really satisfied... it's a fair sentence,\" said Francesca Satta, the lawyer for one of the victims, who had reported Le Scouarnec in 2017.
In his final words to the court, Le Scouarnec said he did not expect leniency, according to lawyers present at the trial, which was held behind closed doors at the victims' request.
\"I do not ask for forgiveness or compassion... only the right to become a better man again,\" he was quoted as saying.
\"He explained that he had a lot of regrets... without necessarily asking for an apology. He knows that what he did is unforgivable,\" his lawyer Thibaut Kurzawa said.
The once-respected doctor and father of three sons now faces a possible second trial involving hundreds of cases of sexual assault or rape.
Le Scouarnec was charged in 2017 after testimony from one of his victims, his neighbour's six-year-old daughter.
The investigation quickly uncovered three others -- two of his nieces, raped between 1989 and 1999, and a hospital patient who was only four in 1993.
Prosecutors say searches of Le Scouarnec's home uncovered archives detailing sexual assaults or rapes of as many as 312 victims, both adults and children, starting in 1986 while he worked at hospitals in central and western France.
Police found more than 300,000 indecent images of minors, including pictures of his two nieces.
Le Scouarnec admitted assaulting the four children but initially denied the rape charges.
During the trial, which started on Monday, Le Scouarnec admitted having raped his nieces, now aged 35 and 30. His admission \"did them a lot of good\", according to their lawyer Delphine Driguez.
© 2020 AFP
Fiscal transfers for 2019 by the central government to FCC amounted to only Le 14.1 bn.
Government “attack dogs” have disparaged the FCC, calling the Mayor heartless and accusing her of being oblivious of the dire economic plight of residents in the middle of a pandemic.
Someone put this hypocritical posture in the right perspective like this – “If the government were really worried about the plight of those that are affected by the hike (the bulk of the populace have actually had a rate decrease) they would have in their arsenals more instruments to ease tax burdens – for decreasing income taxes, GST and other taxes.”
With only 64% of the slated government budget disbursed in 2019 and no disbursement made to FCC since the start of the year; and with FCC salaries unpaid for the past two months, it beggars belief that the government will come out actively against the FCC on this issue.
It also behoves the Honourable Minister to discuss the unhealthy problem of the government not meeting its financial obligations to the FCC and other councils.
TOKYO, (Reuters) - Refund requests have been made for around 18% of the tickets sold in Japan for the Tokyo Olympics, the organising committee said yesterday.
The article Refunds sought for 18% of tickets sold in Japan, organisers say appeared first on Stabroek News.
To some, they're a flying nuisance but pigeons are a big business in Senegal.
From his roof in a suburb of the capital Dakar, shopkeeper and pigeon racer Moustapha Gueye releases dozens of birds from the loft, who quickly fly out of sight.
\"Here it's a factory, I'm creating athletes,\" he says.
He takes care of his winged friends every morning by training them and developing crossbreeds suitable for flying in hot weather.
\"It is a sport created by Europeans, it was imported here. We discovered pigeon racing through the internet. But before we use to be pigeon breeders only,\" Gueye says.
Though more popular across the continent, it is a growing sport in the West African country.
Today, there are some 350 pigeon racing enthusiasts in Senegal, who spend a lot of money. A pigeon can cost over 800 US dollars in the country.
\"Currently I'm doing business with pigeons. I've earned several million CFA francs selling pigeons, I even bought a car through those pigeons,\" he says.
\"But the most important thing for me is the passion.
\"It's exciting to have pigeons, when you start participating in races, releasing a pigeon 400 km from its loft and it comes back, that's something you can't explain, it's great!\"
Taking flight
Pigeon racing has clearly taken flight in Senegal and continues to spread its wings.
Senegalese pigeon-racing enthusiasts are keen to turn others on to the sport, and some hope to ultimately turn professional.
But breeder and pigeon racer Oumar Johnson says some people take their dedication too far.
\"When you're too busy with pigeons, things risk going badly,\" he says, adding that the pigeon-fanciers' federation is considering less time-consuming races for youngsters.
Young people are nonetheless the future of the sport, Johnson says, adding that their devotion will make Senegal \"one of the greatest pigeon-racing nations\" one day.
\"In Europe, you have to motivate young people to get involved,\" he says.
\"Here, young people are rushing into it.\"
By Demetrius Dillard Special to the AFRO Steelers’ defense prevails once again as Ravens lose third straight The Dec. 2 faceoff between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers was historical, under the rarest circumstances, and was the highlight of a strange week in the NFL this season. To add to an already challenging year, […]
The post Tough week for Ravens: Steelers loss, COVID infections appeared first on Afro.
The Pan-Africanist Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo
The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, is seeking a second term in the upcoming presidential election on Monday. Although often positively-viewed by many other Africans on the continent and abroad as a Pan-Africanist, his win is not guaranteed in his home country as he must succeed in convincing Ghanaians that he is still the same worthy candidate for whom the majority of the population voted four years prior. Early Days and Career Début
Born in 1944 in the capital, Accra to a family of the national political elite, Akufo-Addo saw his own father Edward Akufo-Addo become president in the late 1960s as a member of the \"Big Six\" i.e. the fathers of independence of the nation of Ghana. Educated in London, Akufo-Addo he worked as a lawyer in France and England — specialising in human rights before returning to Ghana where he eventually became involved with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 1992 when the country returned to democracy following decades of military rule.
His career path as a lawyer then as a member of parliament and minister garnered Akufo-Addo a strong anti-corruption reputation which resulted in high expectations for his presidency.
According to Kwesi Jonah, a researcher at the Ghana Institute for Democratic Governance, \"Everyone saw him as the one who would be able to put an end to corruption.\"
Accusations of mission obstruction by the special prosecutor — who resigned a month later, to oversee a corruption investigation initiative appointed by Akufo-Addo upon his election in December 2016, raised questions about the authenticity of his presidential brand amongst the Ghanian public.
Presidential Term Overview
Kwesi Jonah believes that the 76-year-old Ghanaian president was in a better position to win the election than he is today. President Akufo-Addo had promised to improve education accessibility- a sector which has seen success, and create job employment as a substantial percentage of Ghanian youth is without work.
An asset for the president, in a country where 18 to 35-year-olds represent more than half of the electorate.
He also pledged to diversify the Ghanian economy which has been dependent on primary resources (gold, cocoa and, more recently, oil), and to reduce taxes in the private sector to encourage investment.
Since his election in 2016, although President Akufo-Addo has managed to contain the increase in debt and inflation, more than half of voters believe that he has failed to improve their standard of living and create jobs — according to a survey conducted by Afrobarometer in 2019.
Economically, Ghana has taken a giant step forward in the last decade, but the country - just like most other countries, has been very much affected by the Covid-19 pandemic with its economic growth this year expected to fall to 1.5%, the lowest rate in 37 years.
Another Four Years as President?
Nevertheless, the President’s swift handling of the coronavirus crisis has been applauded both in Ghana and abroad. In particular, the
FORMER Zimbabwe international bowler Njabulo Ncube has been appointed as the Mountaineers coach for the 2020/21 domestic cricket season. He takes over from Shepherd Makunura who is now in charge at Southern Rocks, who are making their return to top-flight cricket for the first time since the 2013/14 season. The 31-year-old Ncube, who represented Zimbabwe in one Test and one ODI, is one of the highly regarded up-and-coming coaches on the local scene. After helping Rising Stars to the Pro50 Championship title while serving as the national academy side’s assistant coach in 2017/18, their first year of competing in the List A tournament, he went on to assume a similar role at Tuskers up until his latest move. His departure has seen veteran player John Nyumbu being promoted to the role of player/assistant coach at the Bulawayo-based side. Stuart Matsikenyeri, Walter Chawaguta and Douglas Hondo will remain in charge at Eagles, Rhinos and Tuskers respectively. The provincial sides will have the following serving as assistant coaches-cum-team managers: Erick Chauluka (Eagles), Steady Musoso (Mountaineers), Mufaro Chiturumani (Rhinos), Stanley Chioza (Southern Rocks) and Mbekezeli Mabuza (Tuskers). Elton Chigumbura is now a player/assistant coach at Eagles, with Shingi Masakadza, Chris Mpofu and Cephas Zhuwao taking up similar roles at Mountaineers, Rhinos and Southern Rocks. — Zimcricket
Villagers in Ngqusha have been begging the municipality for clean water for years. It took Gift of the Givers days to drill four boreholes.
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.
Three small business owners in the agro-processing sector have told the Stabroek Business that official support for struggling small and micro businesses has to go beyond the grants currently being offered by the state-run Small Business Bureau (SBB) since these are unlikely to make a significant impact on the survival of enterprises that are now on the brink of total collapse.
The article Local small and micro enterprises need help beyond current Small Business Bureau grants appeared first on Stabroek News.
