By Rutendo Ngara OVER 600 000 farmers in Manicaland province, affected by Cyclone Idai in 2019, have benefited from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) irrigation scheme in Mutare, Chimanimani and Chipinge districts. Cyclone Idai devastated most parts of Manicaland province in 2019, and a high number of people in the area are still trying…
By Rutendo NgaraINFORMATION Communication Technology (ICT) minister Jenfan Muswere says there is a need for private players to invest more in telecommunications for the country to accelerate Internet access to everyone.Addressing delegates at the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisations (CTO) conference in London, the United Kingdom on Tuesday, Muswere said despite efforts by the government to ensure…
MANY women are continuing to shun female condoms, with their uptake in the country still way below that of male condoms. Speaking to the Daily News yesterday, the monitoring and evaluation manager for the National Aids Council (Nac), Amon Mpofu, said more awareness was thus needed to encourage women to use these condoms in the interest of their health and well-being.This comes after Zimbabwe recently joined the international community in commemorating World Condom Day, amid estimates that the country needs about 173 million condoms a year as they are at the heart of preventing HIV-Aids infections.“Female condom uptake is much lower than that for male condoms. It seems that many females generally prefer males to wear condoms. Why they prefer male condoms, we are not yet very sure,” Mpofu said.He added that what was worrying was the still relatively high incidents of new HIV infections in the country, especially among young women — which could be prevented if females were able to better protect themselves.“Nac is worried about HIV infections among women, which are always higher than that for males due to several issues which include gender-based violence.“We have instances where young women who are adolescents are getting infections from older men. These issues can be curbed a bit when women are aware of how they can protect themselves better.“It is also of concern that the HIV knowledge gap continues to widen, especially with regards to the younger generation who are the most vulnerable.“This shows that there is a need to intensify adolescents’ differentiated care guideline models that specifically target them in order to reduce cases of HIV among them, which are a cause of major concern,” Mpofu said further.Last year, the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) distributed 375 861 male condoms against 30 559 female ones.It expressed concern then over the low uptake of female condoms, as well as the soaring cases of gender-based violence in the country.Female condoms are also 95 percent effective in preventing pregnancy when used correctly.However, statistics show that due to incorrect use, they are 79-percent effective — and hence 21 women in every 100 who use a female condom become pregnant. Male condoms, in comparison, are 85 percent effective.
THE High Court has ruled that indigenous Zimbabweans who sue the Lands ministry after the State repossesses their land on the basis of their nationality have no legal recourse. This comes after a white farmer from Gweru, Frances Mary Bowers, filed an application at the High Court challenging the seizure of her farm by the…
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa will soon announce the dates for this year’s crunch national elections after he gazetted the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission(Zec)’s delimitation report on Monday. Addressing thousands of people who gathered to commemorate National Youth Day in Lupane yesterday, Mnangagwa confirmed that he was ready to proclaim the dates for the harmonised polls. “As per…
By Ketty Nyoni PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged law enforcement agencies to take ruthless action against drug peddlers, saying that youth drug abuse is impeding economic development. Speaking at the National Youth Day commemorations held in Lupane, Matabeleland North province, yesterday, he said people selling illicit drugs must be removed from society. “I have directed…
MADAGASCAR suspended schools and transport in the path of tropical cyclone Freddy yesterday, which was expected to make landfall in the south-east…
By Yvonne Ncube BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) says it is clamping down on space barons who have allegedly been collecting bribes from desperate vendors, while promising them trading bays at the soon-to-be opened Egodini Mall and Fife Street Market. This comes at a time the menacing space barons have been illegally issuing vending bays in…
AN ALLEGED serial robber, who is believed to have broken into over 10 houses in Mabelreign, Avondale and Bluffhill in Harare over the past two years, has been denied bail. Lamusi Nthula was arrested in January and on Monday applied for bail, but the application was tossed out by Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi, who noted…
ZIMBABWE’S economy is expected to grow by more than 3.8 percent, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube has predicted. Speaking at an engagement with National University of Science and Technology (Nust) students yesterday, Ncube attributed the growth to massive transformations in all sectors. “Zimbabwe’s economy is undergoing unprecedented economic transformation, which we have not seen in the…
