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THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has reportedly refused to restore water supplies to Binga Rural District Council until the local authority has paid at least $300 000 of its $1,5 million debt. BY PRAISEMORE SITHOLE Zinwa cut off water supplies to Binga in September, forcing residents and business operators to turn to boreholes and other unsafe water sources. Binga Residents Association vice-chairperson Samson Sibanda said Zinwa recently met council officials and indicated that it would restore water supplies after the local authority has paid at least $300 000 towards settling the bill. “We met and agreed on the way forward for water to be reopened. Council is the one that owes Zinwa money and not the residents. For water to be reopened Zinwa said they require at least $300 000 from the council,” Sibanda said. “Residents of Masoja area who are affected by the water cut started to protest and demonstrate saying they had been paying council and the issue has to be resolved immediately.” Binga district development co-ordinator Farai Marinyame confirmed that stakeholders met on Wednesday to try to resolve the crisis. “I was not on the ground, but there was a meeting between Zinwa, residents and the council to solve the ongoing water crisis. For now there is still no water as council is still negotiating with Zinwa so that they take that project,” Marinyame said. “The main problem is that residents are not paying up.” Binga RDC chief executive officer Joshua Muzamba said he was still out of Binga. “I am still out of Binga, just look for those on the ground who can give you information,” he said. Zinwa spokesperson Marjorie Munyonga, who previously pleaded with residents to pay up, yesterday said she was out of office and was yet to be briefed on the latest developments.
Many people have been killed since clashes began on Monday. Scores too had been killed in the run up to the vote as protestors marched against Conde's bid for a third term.
Life as we know it changed in March as South Africa went into lockdown for hospitals to prepare for Covid-19. In a matter of days, we saw businesses setting up their employees at home, and schools sending children home with lists of activities and reading material.
A TOP police officer, Chief Superintendent Joseph Josphat Mutiforo, appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court yesterday facing criminal abuse of office and bribery allegations.
Voters in Seychelles are casting their ballots in the presidential and parliamentary elections spanning three days.
Saturday was the main and last day of voting. The exercise had opened on Thursday for voters on fringe islands and essential workers such as hospital staff in the Indian Ocean island country.
74,600 people are eligible to vote.
Most of the Indian Ocean islands making up the Seychelles, a prized honeymoon destination famed for white beaches and lush vegetation, are uninhabited and the archipelago's 98,000 residents mainly live on the islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue.
The opposition is hoping to unseat incumbent president Danny Faure, in power since 2016. Faure was not elected but took over after his boss, James Michel, resigned as president.
Faure is running under the United Seychelles party, which has been in power since 1977.
His main rival is the Anglican priest Wavel Ramkalawan, who is taking his sixth shot at the presidency and lost by only 193 votes to Michel in an unprecedented second round of voting in 2015.
Virus and economy
The main concern of voters is the economic situation in the country, which has suffered the loss of vital tourism -- its main earner -- because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Seychelles has recorded only 149 mostly imported cases, but the virus has been a key campaign issue, with the health minister banning election rallies which would have been a barometer of support for various candidates in a country without a polling institute.
The campaign has mainly happened over social media, where the opposition and its supporters are the most active, and on television where the country held its first ever debates between the candidates, which proved extremely popular.
Since the start of the pandemic, the economy has slowed significantly, with some 700 Seychellois losing their jobs, according to government figures.
And while average income is among the highest in Africa, the national statistics agency says that about 40 percent of Seychellois live in poverty because of the high cost of living.
Another key theme of the campaign has been corruption, a largely taboo topic in the tiny country where business and politics are often intertwined.
HIGH Court judge Justice Erica Ndewere has filed an interdict against President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stop him from suspending her until Chief Justice Luke Malaba has followed correct disciplinary procedures. By DESMOND CHINGARANDE Justice Ndewere has been accusing Justice Malaba of discrimination, saying former judge Justice Francis Bere’s disciplinary hearing was done according to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) guidelines, but her case had been sent directly to Mnangagwa without giving her an opportunity to be heard. In her application for interdict, Justice Ndewere cited Mnangagwa, Justice Malaba, Judge President George Chiweshe, the JSC and Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi. “On September 15, 2020, I received documents containing complaints against myself from JSC,” Justice Ndewere said. “It was noted that the complaints had been placed before JSC in terms of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. “I was asked to respond to the complaints on or before September 22. My lawyers of record then wrote a letter to JSC highlighting critical issues on how complaints against a sitting judge ought to be dealt with.” She added: “It was clear from the document I received from JSC was acting on the basis that it is Malaba who is complaining about my conduct. If, indeed, it is Malaba who is of the opinion that I have conducted myself contrary in any shape or form, then the JSC code of ethics should apply.” Justice Ndewere said the JSC did not respond to her letter and on October 13, she was shocked to receive news that she was to appear before a tribunal and received a letter stating that the complaints commission had referred the matter to the President. She said she, therefore, concluded that the complaints considered by the JSC at the extraordinary meeting chaired by Justice Malaba were the same as the complaints delivered to her, which confirms that Justice Malaba was the one complaining about her conduct. “By operation of law, the setting up of a tribunal by the first respondent (Mnangagwa) will result in my automatic suspension which will prejudice my work and my reputation,” she said. “My reputation is in jeopardy because Malaba has complained about my conduct. I run the risk of losing my job based on complaints raised against me by Malaba alone. To allow this would be a violation of my right and to the administration of justice.” Justice Ndewere said section 163(2) and (3) of the Constitution clearly stated that the Chief Justice was the head of Judiciary and was in charge of the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court and Judge President Chiweshe was in charge of the High Court. She said Justice Chiweshe was supposed to be the complainant in her case. Justice Ndewere is reportedly being victimised after allegedly refusing bail instruction in cases involving former Cabinet minister Priscah Mupfumira, who is accused of corruption and fraud, and MDC Alliance legislator Job Sikhala, accused of plotting Mnangagwa’s ouster.
By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and KATHLEEN RONAYNE Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Joe Biden is confronting the harsh political realities of combating climate change. The Democratic presidential nominee has spent months touting a $2 trillion plan to boost investment in clean energy and stop all climate-damaging emissions from the U.S. economy by 2050. The plan implied that he would wean the U.S. off oil and gas, but Biden wasn't so explicit about the industry's fate — until Thursday night. During the final moments of the presidential debate, Biden said he would 'transition away from the oil industry.' President Donald Trump, […]
The post Biden's warning on oil tests voter resolve on climate change appeared first on Black News Channel.
More than 500 people joined the nation in protesting police brutality, the murder of unarmed black man George Floyd and racial oppression during its recent Black Lives Matter protest in Cedar Hill.
Residents of this southern Dallas County city – which is 54 percent black – marched from the Cedar Hill Walmart near Uptown to the Cedar Hill Government Center, which houses the police department.
Once assembled in front of the Government Center, residents heard from various speakers including Mayor Stephen Mason, Police Chief Ely Reyes, and 18-year-old Janell Baker, a Cedar Hill resident who is the 2020 Salutatorian of the School of Science and Engineering at Townview.
This “complete lack of accountability” Baker told the crowd assembled, “is the complete lack of accountability that screams to people in this country that black lives do not matter which is why everyone has the responsibility to scream the opposite.
The Tri-City Chapter of the NAACP – serving Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville and the surrounding communities – was also present and encouraged residents to join the organization and help continue fighting for racial progress.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU ZIMBABWE’s information communication technology (ICT) sector has come under siege from thieves and vandals targeting its infrastructure, in the process affecting telecommunications connectivity. Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) director-general Gift Machengete yesterday said the vandalism and theft of infrastructure had affected marginalised areas which already face network challenges. Machengete made the remarks during the commissioning of a NetOne base station in Silonkwe area in Kezi, Matabeleland South province. “The ICT sector has witnessed an increase in cases of theft and vandalism by criminals with solar panels, batteries, copper cables, generators being the main targets,” Machengete said. “It would be most disappointing to see communities such as Silonkwe going back to the misery of unconnectdness — all at the instance of a few individuals who take advantage of the night to steal and vandalise that which was built for the greater good of the community.” Silonkwe area had gone for decades without network connectivity owing to lack of base stations. The base station will provide coverage to five wards in the Matobo district. NetOne acting chief executive officer Chipo Jaisson said the Silonkwe base station would provide cutting edge services to the once marginalised communities.
By Associated Press Undefined BLAINE, Wash. (AP) — Heavily protected crews in Washington state worked Saturday to destroy the first nest of so-called murder hornets discovered in the United States. The state Agriculture Department had spent weeks searching, trapping and using dental floss to tie tracking devices to Asian giant hornets, which can deliver painful stings to people and spit venom but are the biggest threat to honeybees that farmers depend on to pollinate crops. The nest found in the city of Blaine near the Canadian border is about the size of a basketball and contained an estimated 100 to […]
The post Crews vacuum 'murder hornets' out of Washington nest appeared first on Black News Channel.
HARARE town planner Priscilla Charumbira, arrested on Tuesday for criminal abuse of office after she allegedly unprocedurally approved a change of land use of open spaces, was yesterday remanded in custody to today after she challenged her placement on remand. BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE Through her lawyer Lovemore Madhuku, Charumbira (53) argued that there was no legal basis for placing her on remand. She argued that the facts and evidence placed before the court did not constitute an offence. Magistrate Bianca Makwande will rule on her application today. The accused, who is wife to Chief’s Council president Fortune Charumbira, said the office she occupied did not directly interact with the Local Government minister, hence could not be charged for failing to seek ministerial approval. She said she signed some of the documents which had been approved by other officers that include one Nyabezi. But the State, represented by George Manokore, said the document before the court showed that Charumbira was an accomplice in the matter. It is alleged that sometime in 2016, Charumbira in her capacity as the city planner unlawfully supervised the approval of change of use for land in Sunningdale and along Samora Machel Avenue without the approval of the Local Government ministry.
By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — While much of Washington is twisted in knots over the upcoming election, there's another contingent already busy trying to figure out how to stage an inauguration for the to-be-determined next president during a pandemic. Visitors to the U.S. Capitol and the White House can already see preparations underway for the Jan. 20 ceremony, a date set by the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, for whoever emerges as the winner. And low-flying helicopters are swooping around town as part of beefed-up security precautions. Construction work is taking place with the mindset that it […]
The post Work already underway for presidential inauguration appeared first on Black News Channel.
By Dorothy J. GentryContributing Writer More than 500 people joined the nation in protesting police brutality, the murder of unarmed black man George Floyd and racial oppression during its recent Black Lives Matter protest in Cedar Hill. Residents of this southern Dallas County city – which is 54 percent black – marched from the Cedar Hill Walmart near Uptown to the Cedar Hill Government Center, which houses the police department. They held signs – black, white, other races, young, old and more – and engaged in chants including “Black Lives Matter!” Once assembled in front of the Government Center, residents heard from various speakers including Mayor Stephen Mason, Police Chief Ely Reyes, and 18-year-old Janell Baker, a Cedar Hill resident who is the 2020 Salutatorian of the School of Science and Engineering at Townview. “I’ve never been one to delight in the workings of the American political system but I’ve always been one to stand up for what I believe in; and what I believe is that right now in this country we need drastic change” said Baker who will be attending Stanford University in the fall. “The truth is that for over 400 years, black people in America have been enslaved, oppressed and treated as if we are less than human, she said. “And the main problem we are facing currently is that the criminals who are committing these acts of hate are not being held accountable and for the most part are getting away with no punishment at all.” This “complete lack of accountability” Baker told the crowd assembled, “is the complete lack of accountability that screams to people in this country that black lives do not matter which is why everyone has the responsibility to scream the opposite. “Our lives do matter. Our lives have value and we deserve to be loved and celebrated.” Residents and police were urged to continue the dialogue and building good relationships. The Tri-City Chapter of the NAACP – serving Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville and the surrounding communities – was also present and encouraged residents to join the organization and help continue fighting for racial progress. A protester holding an 8 minutes, 46 seconds poster A protestor holding a Black Culture... poster Cedar Hill Mayor Stephen Mason addressing protesters at BLM Rally Protestors Raise Fists at BLM Rally Protestors at the Cedar Hill BLM Rally A protestor holding an I Can't Breathe poster A protestor holding a My Breath Matters poster A protestor kneeling at the Cedar Hill BLM Rally A protestor holding a Stop Killing Blacks... poster Janell Baker, Salutatorian Class of 2020, School of Science and Engineering, Townview, speaks to protesters at Cedar Hill BLM Rally Cedar Hill Police Chief Ely Reyes speaks to the BLM Rally protesters assembled in front of Cedar Hill Government Center
At the outset of the pandemic, more African Americans in Mississippi were being infected and killed by coronavirus than white... View Article
The post Mississippi health official links rise in white virus cases over Black cases to mask views appeared first on TheGrio.
Melbourne-based Archa, an organization offering a company bank card thats constructed round your online business, holding you in management, has revealed that it was granted principal issuing membership of Mastercard.…
By VANESSA GERA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish President Andrzej Duda says he feels well despite testing positive for the coronavirus, and he apologized Saturday to everyone who must quarantine because they had contact with him. Duda, 48, said in a recording published on Twitter that he was experiencing no COVID-19 symptoms 'but unfortunately, the test result is absolutely unambiguous.' 'I would like to apologize to all those who are exposed to quarantine procedures because of meeting me in recent days,' he said. 'If I had had any symptoms of coronavirus, please believe me, all meetings would have […]
The post Poland's president has coronavirus, apologizes to contacts appeared first on Black News Channel.
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 24 October 2020: As countries across the world ramp up their response to the unfolding second wave of the deadly Coronavirus Pandemic that has killed over one million people, authorities in Sierra Leone have decided its time to scale down the government’s response. This decision was announced by the government’s national spokesman…
The Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry was responding to comments by his Ethiopian counterpart in an interview with the Associated Press Friday.
At this juncture we are depositing the issue with the security council with the desire that it undertakes its responsibilities.
“At this juncture we are depositing the issue with the security council with the desire that it undertakes its responsibilities.
If the security council does not undertake its responsibilities, this is even a greater threat to international peace and security”, the Ethiopian foreign affairs minister said.
Egypt, which relies on the Nile for more than 90% of its water supplies, sees the issue as a potentially existential threat.
MOST Jamaicans agree with the postponement or cancellation of mass gatherings and events as a means of limiting the spread of the novel coronavirus, a survey by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) has found.
READ | Here's what the courts said about govt's lockdown regulations
\"The starting point was not 'how can we as the government limit constitutional rights in the least possible fashion whilst still protecting the inhabitants of SA?'
\"The main problem with the judgment is that while there was an attack on the regulations as a whole, the judge only looked at specific regulations, the regulations dealing with curfews on exercise, and the regulations dealing with visitations of families and regulations dealing with funerals.\"
ALSO READ | Court rules patients cannot be forced into state quarantine
Chauke said after the judge looked at specific examples and found there were no rational links to the purpose of the national state of disaster, he declared all the regulations in terms of levels 3 and 4 unconstitutional and invalid and \"that is where the main problem is\".
De Vos said despite its many flaws, the judgment \"raises important questions of constitutional principle regarding the government's management of the lockdown and its belief that as long as it pursues the laudable goals of saving lives for the public good, the regulations will be constitutionally compliant\".
\"To make things worse, and this is the second problem, the court discusses specific regulations [some that applied at alert Level 4 and some that apply at alert Level 3] and concludes that these regulations are irrational,\" De Vos said.
… corporate executives and entrepreneurs, largely African-Americans, with years of experience at … same interview. "There is African-American talent that's been …
Image: Dado Ruvic, Reuters
Facebook is acquiring Giphy, a popular website for making and sharing animated images, or GIFs, and will integrate it with its rapidly growing Instagram photo-sharing app, Facebook said in a blog post.
In 2015, Giphy rebuffed a Facebook offer, choosing instead to continue integrating its products with multiple social media platforms, according to news site TechCrunch.
Giphy will become part of Instagram, the photo-sharing site owned by Facebook.
“People will still be able to upload GIFs; developers and API partners will continue to have the same access to Giphy’s APIs; and Giphy’s creative community will still be able to create great content,” said Vishal Shah, Instagram’s vice president of product, in the blog post.
Facebook’s blog post said 50% of Giphy’s traffic already comes from Facebook’s apps, with half of that coming from Instagram.
LOCAL authorities in the country have attributed their poor service delivery record to rising inflation. Mayors Blessing Tandi (Mutare), Lovemore Maiko (Chitungwiza) and Angeline Kasiipo (Kwekwe) made the remarks during a virtual meeting on Wednesday organised by Shoko Festival. BY KENNETH NYANGANI Residents, the mayors said, should not expect miracles from them as they were being affected by the country’s poor economic performance.Tandi said his council was struggling to provide good service delivery due to the country’s tanking economy. “We don’t operate in a vacuum. If the national economy is not performing, why should you expect us to perform miracles when we have high inflation? We need a lot of money to buy water treatment chemicals,” Tandi said. “Our roads are in a poor state because we are not getting enough funds from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration. As council, we should be allowed to collect money from vehicle licences.” Maiko weighed in saying councils do not exist in isolation. He said they were also facing water challenges. “As councils, we don’t live in isolation, with the current economy you should not expect miracles from us, like what Mutare mayor Blessing Tandi has already said, we are struggling to provide service delivery because of the poor state of the economy,” he said. “Look at the rate at which inflation is going up, we also need to pay our workers competitively.” “Chitungwiza was established as a dormitory town of Harare and now has the largest urban population but we don’t have any source of water. We rely on Harare for water distribution and it’s giving us a drop in the ocean,” he said. Kasiipo also said they were failing to perform because of the moribund economy.She, however, urged residents to pay their dues. “We are urging our residents to pay rates, our collection rate is very low, so our residents need to play their part so that we provide good service delivery,” he said.
As of 24 October, South Africa has recorded a total of 714 246 confirmed cases of Covid-19 as well as 18 944 deaths related to the novel coronavirus.
