Lifestyle
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Pikitayi launches debut poetry book
Angela Chirenda Rugara aka “Pikitayi the Poet” is set to launch her debut Poetry book titled EMOTIONAL EVOLUTION at Twinlakes Methodist Church in Zimbabwe this Saturday in Norton. The 69-year-old Poet started writing poetry in 2019 under the mentorship of award-winner, Tawanda ” VaChikepe” Chikepe. She has gathered a record of poems in the book…
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World’s soils ‘under great pressure’, says UN pollution report
The world’s soils, which provide 95% of humanity’s food, are “under great pressure”, according to a UN report on soil pollution. Soils are also the largest active store of carbon, after the oceans, and therefore crucial in fighting the climate crisis. But the report said industrial pollution, mining, farming, and poor waste management are poisoning soils,…
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ZESN Long-Term Observer Report on Monitoring Responses to COVID-19
By Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) INTRODUCTION During the month of May, a new variant of COVID-19, the Indian Variant B.1.617, was detected in Kwekwe. Subsequent to this, the government imposed a two-week lockdown covering the entire district: the City of Kwekwe, Redcliff town, and the surrounding farming areas in Kwekwe Rural District Council. Measures…
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Majik N Money on the rise with launch of fifth album
UNHERALDED but steadily rising South Africa-based Zimbabwean-born Hip Hop musician Majik ‘N’ Money real name Eugene Nyasha Tendengu has announced the coming of his next album, Workaholic, with a release date set for May 30. The Cape Town-based rapper said the 12 track album is a product of long and sleepless nights in and out…
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The Queens are coming: DStv’s Honey channel commissions a brand-new reality show
After a successful launch HONEY TV brings you the Nollywood Queens, fresh addition to the reality content slate this Africa Month. “We are particularly excited about this observational reality show where we follow the lives of five fabulous Nigerian women who are widely known in the world of Nollywood,” says Zinzi Velelo, HONEY’s Head of…
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Food Relief Hampers: Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) reaches out to communities
Cognisant of the fact that following COVID-19-induced hardships, most families in Zimbabwe are facing hunger and starvation, the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) is extending its giving hand by distributing food hampers to deserving families across the country. Speaking during the food distribution exercise in Chitungwiza on Monday 3 May 2021, Mr Can…
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The Best International Movies on Showmax
NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS | Drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always follows a pair of teenage girls from rural Pennsylvania as they travel to New York City to seek medical help after an unintended pregnancy. The film has a 99% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has won 25 awards, including the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award at Sundance and…
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Keeping soils alive and healthy is key to sustain life on our planet
The Global Symposium on Soil Biodiversity hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) drew to a close with a call to recognize and enhance the role of soil organisms in sustaining life on Earth. Soils are one of the main global reservoirs of biodiversity. They host more than 25 percent…
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Healthy Forests Are Key to ‘Building Back Better’: FAO
Healthy forests are key to “building back better”, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General QU Dongyu said last week in his video address to the high-level round table at the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF, 26-30 April 2021). In his remarks, the Director-General extolled the many virtues of forests, including ensuring people’s food security…
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African development banks, institutions pledge US$17 billion to increase food security
IFAD said it aimed to provide an additional US$1.5 billion to Africa to support national efforts to transform food and agricultural systems over the next three years A coalition of multilateral development banks and development partners has pledged over US$17 billion in financing on Friday during a high-level forum, in a bold bid to address…
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The world needs a food movement based on agro-ecology and equity
by Pat Mooney The idea of a Food Systems Summit seemed timely when it was announced in 2019 by the World Economic Forum and the UN Secretary-General’s Office. But while the need was widely appreciated, the unorthodox proposal by Davos to expand “stakeholder capitalism” to encompass the United Nations alarmed some involved in the food movement.…
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Retailers cry foul over the order to pay VAT on rice backdated to 2017
The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) is crying foul over a recent letter in which Finance and Economic Development Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube insisted that retailers should pay Value Added Tax (VAT) on rice for periods backdated to 2017 on packages of 25kg or less. In the letter, Prof Ncube said Treasury could not accede…
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Strengthening Food Systems Centre of Africa’s COVID-19 Recovery
Strengthening food systems must be an integral part of efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and to build resilience in Africa, said African Development Bank Director General for Southern Africa, Leila Mokaddem. Hunger is a greater threat to many Africans than the COVID-19 crisis, Mokaddem said in a session on sustainable food systems at the Southern…
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Scope for pushing knowledge boundaries by domesticating indigenous foods
By Charles Dhewa Good rainfall seasons across Africa are not only characterized by an abundance of domesticated crops and livestock but an increase in the availability of non-domesticated natural food resources. Such resources range from edible insects to indigenous fruits, tubers, vegetables, mushrooms, and small indigenous animals. While some are prevalent in high rainfall regions,…
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Zimbabwean Culture Fashion Brand ZimXcite Signs International Merch Deals with Home-Based Artists
(Ibiza, Spain) – Colourful new Zimbabwean culture fashion brand ZimXcite is proud to announce that it has inked several international merchandising deals with local creatives under its Zim Arts division, a gig that will see these artists being able to sell their work or their branded merchandise to a global market. The development is a…
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M-Net to broadcast ‘CBS Presents Oprah With Meghan And Harry’
M-Net announced today it would broadcast ‘CBS PRESENTS OPRAH WITH MEGHAN AND HARRY’ featuring Oprah Winfrey as she sits down with Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for an intimate conversation. The interview will air on Monday, 8 March (19h30 CAT) on the M-Net DStv channel 102. Winfrey will speak with Meghan The…
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2020/2021 seasonal rainfall impressive: Rural farmers
By Joyce Mukucha Following successive droughts over the past few years that negatively affected agricultural growth in Zimbabwe, farmers in rural areas are overwhelmed with joy because the rains have remained above normal throughout the country in the 2020 -2021 cropping season. Spiked Online Media conducted interviews with various farmers in different provinces who expressed…
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COVID-19: Southern Africa faces food insecurity, calls for solidarity gain momentum
The SADC Regional Vulnerability Committee Chair, António Pacheco Dias Lima on 22 February 2021 called on member states, to find ways to share success stories, opportunities, and progress captured in the national Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis to inform food security interventions as the region battles COVID-19 and record high levels of food insecurity Dias Lima…
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Soul Jah Love: The last word
By Tanaka Chidora The second half of my childhood was spent in Mbare. As Mbare citizens, we were at the receiving end of jokes by those who wanted to feel better about their achievements regardless of how small those achievements were. According to them, Mbare was that place where you had to take a bath…
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Rethinking our attitude to and use of “Weeds”
By John Wilson Following up on the theme of changing our ‘machine’-leaning mindsets, whenever we are dealing with life and not machines, I’ve been giving plenty of thought the last few weeks to what most people call ‘weeds’. Many people don’t like this term, especially those who eat them. I’m one of those. My laptop…
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Government Targeting 2 million Metric Tonnes of Maize
Following the millions of hectares that were repossessed by the black majority during the land reform programme, the Government has assured the nation that there will be sufficient maize through the food self sufficiency programmes. The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr. Anxious Masuka said this year, the nation will have…
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FAO Commemorates World Pulses Day
By Joyce Mukucha The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Liaison Office with the United Nations (UN) in New York in collaboration with Emerging Ag Inc, governments, non-governmental organizations, and all other relevant stakeholders yesterday held a virtual event to celebrate World Pulses Day. The event which was aimed at raising awareness and recognising the contribution…
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Realness Institute, Netflix Extend Episodic Lab Entry Deadline; Launch New Development Executive Traineeship
Realness Institute’s newest program, Episodic Lab, created in partnership with Netflix, has received an overwhelmingly positive response from members of the industry online and offline. The deadline has thus been extended for submissions. Online submissions will now close upon receiving 150 additional applications or on the 8 February 2021, whichever comes first. The Episodic Lab offers…
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Minister Lee Mugadza takes gospel music by storm through “Jesu Aripo” album
Rising gospel musician – Minister Lee Mugadza – is set to take the music industry by storm when he launches his third album titled ‘Jesu Aripo’. Minister Mugadza who is known for hits such as Chikwee, Adonai, Munoenda Nesu and many more will launch his new project ‘Juse Aripo’ virtually over the weekend. The South…
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Finding strengths in local food markets amid the pandemic
By Charles Dhewa Since March 2020 when COVID19 first showed up in Africa, mass food markets have continued to play their critical functions although policy support has continued to be directed to processing companies and supermarkets. In 2021, COVID19 did not just confirm the importance of a strong immune system but has also revealed the strengths…
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Government rolling out food security programs
By Joyce Mukucha The Government has said it was geared to roll out a number of programs to achieve food security in the country and ensure that by the year 2023, no commodities such as maize and other grains will be imported. The efforts are aimed at ensuring that farmers in the country get adequate…
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“How archaeology in Pakistan is forced to deny the nation’s Hindu past”
By Own Correspondent Don’t be taken in by the Pakistan government’s lip-service to becoming a multi-religious society every time it promises the repair or reconstruction of a destroyed Hindu temple in that country. It just cannot mean what it says in this context. That is the way to read the recent drama in Pakistan over…
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Minimise on COVID-19 herbal prevention concoctions: Sekuru Banda
As COVID-19 intensifies its toll on citizens, famous traditional healer Sekuru Banda has warned people against consuming excess concoctions as a preventive measure against the virus. “We understand that COVID-19 is ravaging people across the globe with Zimbabwe listed as a hotspot for the pandemic. My advice is that when you are not COVID-19 positive,…
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How to Get Safe CBD Vape Juice
By Ross D The vaping industry has witnessed a tremendous growth rate over the past few years. And if recent projections are anything to go by, the industry may not be slowing down anytime soon. One of the reasons behind the meteoritic rise in the vaping culture is the fact that most people no longer…
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Go Green! Our potential way out
By Dexter Chagwena This Covid 19 pandemic has brought special attention to herbal remedies or functional foods, naturally regarded for both their nutritional and health benefits. Most of us commonly know these as herbs or complementary and alternative medicines. Everyone is busy looking for something traditional to use, with an aim to boost our immunity…
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UK pledges £4 million (US$5.4 million) to help feed 110,000 food insecure people in urban areas
… Part of a global package worth £47 million to provide food, nutrition, water and shelter to help over 1.3 million vulnerable people in 9 countries and regions, including Zimbabwe. New UN data reveals humanitarian crises are worsening around the world, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, 235 million people are expected to be in need…
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Food and Nutrition: Weight loss, immunity-boost meal plan
By Rumbidzai Mukori A new study from Lancet, has found that obesity is one of the three greatest risk factors for Covid-19. As those who are overweight and obese remain infected several days longer than their aged-matched leaner counterparts. Weight monitoring is essential to all in these times of coronavirus. We have to take note…
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Gringo still alive: Sekuru Banda
The late popular comedian Lazarus Boora popularly known as Gringo is still alive thanks to the revival of his legacy, which is being resuscitated by famous traditional healer Sekuru Banda. Gringo is a televised comedy in which Boora was the lead character who entertained people while educating them about contemporary issues around family affairs, love,…
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Regenerating our soils with indigenous microbes
By John Wilson It is becoming increasingly apparent that the main drivers of life on Mother Earth are microbial. Perhaps the difficulty in recognizing this is because without a microscope we can’t see this incredibly complex world. Unfortunately, probably because we can’t see it, we have often brought devastation to this microbial world. Most of…
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Simangaliso Chirisa slowly morphing into a prolific writer
By Joyce Mukucha Simangaliso Chirisa aka ‘Simah’, a Zimbabwean-born novelist, is an inspirational example of a young creative woman who shows that when you are naturally gifted in something and you combine that with faith in God, commitment, perseverance, and relentless drive, you will ultimately succeed. It was never her dream to see herself pursuing…
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5 Tips For Hanging Outdoor Christmas Lights
The holiday season is incomplete without any celebrations. And when Christmas is around the corner, there are various ideas for a grand celebration at home. It’s that time of the year when friends and family all come under the same roof. But all these will be a step behind until you display the perfect celebratory…
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Knowledge inclusion is the most important of all forms of inclusion
By Charles Dhewa Digital inclusion, financial inclusion, gender inclusion and several other forms of inclusion have received too much attention over the past few years including 2020. What has been ignored is the mother of all inclusions – knowledge inclusion. All forms of inclusion are meaningless when knowledge existing within ordinary people and communities is…