DURBAN, August 3 (ANA) – The recent unrest that took place across the KwaZulu-Natal province and parts of Gauteng, and that resulted in numerous deaths, theft and property destruction have been tallied up.



This, after a media briefing at the Inanda police station in Durban on Tuesday which featured the minister of police General Bheki Cele and premier of KZN Sihle Zikalala, as well as several surveys conducted by private and public organisations.



Two-hundred and fifty-one (251) people in KZN died as a result of the unrest, with 110 from the eThekwini district, 36 from the Phoenix area, 20 from the uMgungundlovu district, and all which were of black African and Indian descent.



Thirty (30) people who were killed in Phoenix, were shot. Two were burnt, one stabbed and another run over by a vehicle. Two were assaulted.



Fifty-two (52) cases of attempted murder, nine cases of common assault and 16 cases of Assault GBH are being investigated.



Thirty-one (31) detectives have been deployed to investigate and have arrested 22 suspects.



One-hundred and twelve (112) illegal firearms have been seized in the Phoenix area.



Another 152 firearms from four private security companies have also been seized by investigators.



Damage to property are estimated to be around R126 billion (around US$8.7 billion), according to an earlier African News Agency report.



One survey, based on results from 1,070 respondents from informal, micro, small and large businesses, conducted by NGO BeyondCOVID also found that SMMEs stand to lose around R3.4 billion in revenue per month as a result of the unrest.



Sixty-two percent of small businesses affected do not have insurance.



Seven percent of impacted businesses from KZN and Gauteng have closed for good, 44 percent have closed temporarily and six percent returned to business as usual.



More than 40,000 businesses were affected, according to the Durban Chamber of Commerce.



More than R15 billion in damages to property and equipment has been recorded, while stock loss is estimated to be more than R1.5 billion in eThekwini.



With a population of just over three million, it has an estimated negative impact of more than R25 billion to its GDP.



More than 150,000 jobs are at risk while more than 1.5 million people have been left without an income.



– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Naomi Mackay

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KwaZulu-Natal Counts Cost Of Deadly Unrest, Billions Lost

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="787" height="443" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GettyImages-86362200.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-407771" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GettyImages-86362200.jpeg 787w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GettyImages-86362200-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GettyImages-86362200-140x80.jpeg 140w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GettyImages-86362200-768x432.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 787px) 100vw, 787px" /><figcaption>A view of Table Mountain from the newly renovated Victoria and Alfred Waterfront</figcaption></figure>



CAPE TOWN, June 23 (ANA) – A study released by Mercer on Tuesday showed that the capital city of Chad, N’Djamena, ranked as the most expensive city for expatriates, while Zambia’s Lusaka came in as the least expensive.



The New York-based consulting firm conducted a global survey in light of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which showed that half of the world’s 10 most expensive cities for expatriates are in Asia.



N’Djamena, which earned top spot for Africa, ranked 13th on the global list ahead of major developed cities such as New York, London, Copenhagen, Sydney and Milan.



According to the statement released by Mercer, the study is meant to provide insight for multinationals looking to relocate and for human resource leaders to attract the right skills when recruiting as more expensive destinations become more costly.



“More organisations are introducing virtual assignments, where an employee performs the same job remotely as they would do if they were to relocate to the host location,” said Stevens Kawoubouga, a senior associate at Mercer Africa.



“For example, a professional based in Ghana would be able to perform tasks and be responsible for operations in Kenya… Alternatively, organisations could start hiring more local foreign talents to fill in the gaps in their talent acquisition programmes,” he said.



Kawoubouga added that N’Djamena remains the most expensive city in Africa for another year as the Chadian economy continues to recover from the pressures of a plummeting oil price and growing debts.



The capital city of Zambia, Lusaka, has become a more attractive destination for expatriates and is currently the cheapest city in Africa, followed by Tunisia’s Tunis and Windhoek in Namibia.



Meanwhile, Nigeria is slowly recovering from its worst recession in four decades and the city of Lagos came in second as the most expensive city for expatriates, followed by Libreville (Gabon), Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Bangui (Central African Republic).



In South Africa, Cape Town remains a more expensive city to live in than Johannesburg, and both cities moved up in the global rankings to 178 and 184, respectively.

Table Mountain

Most expensive African cities

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says resolving the energy challenges in the country is not just urgent but fundamental to economic recovery.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/105500770-1539253589126gettyimages-909184932.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-392105" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/105500770-1539253589126gettyimages-909184932.jpeg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/105500770-1539253589126gettyimages-909184932-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/105500770-1539253589126gettyimages-909184932-150x84.jpeg 150w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/105500770-1539253589126gettyimages-909184932-696x391.jpeg 696w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /></figure>



CAPE TOWN, March 22 (ANA) – Solving the energy challenges in South Africa and power utility, Eskom’s ability to produce enough electricity to meet the demand is fundamental for the country’s economic recovery, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday.



“Resolving our energy challenges isn’t just urgent; it is fundamental to South Africa’s economic recovery,” Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly letter.



“That is why we are making every effort to bring new power generation capacity online in the shortest possible time.”



Power utility Eskom said it was forced to resume rotational powercuts on March 10, due to its generation capacity being severely constrained.



At the time, Eskom said continued poor performance at its Kusile, Duvha and Tutuka power stations, and delays in returning some other units to service and breakdowns over the last week had caused the need to implement this loadshedding.



The utility supplies the bulk of South Africa’s electricity, but has struggled to meet demand over the last decade, mainly as a result of its generating units frequently breaking down after years of poor maintenance.



On Monday, Ramaphosa said for more than a decade the electricity shortage has been a problem and that economic activity has been severely interrupted every time there is a power cut.



He said the interruptions affected smaller businesses and large industries.



“Over the years, it has contributed to slow economic growth and weak investor confidence.”



Ramaphosa said that a step forward was the announcement by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe, of companies that had successfully bid to supply 2,000 megawatts of emergency power to address the capacity gap.



“The power will be produced from a range of sources including solar, wind, liquefied natural gas and battery storage. These projects will involve an investment of around R45 billion by the private sector,” Ramaphosa said.



“Around half of all the materials used in the construction will be locally sourced. The projects should be providing power to the nation by August next year.”



Ramaphosa said that government last week released a request for proposals for the procurement of a further 2,600 megawatts of renewable energy.



This would be the fifth ‘bid window’ to buy renewable energy from independent power producers in a programme that has led to “significant private investment in the country’s energy infrastructure”, he said.



Ramaphosa said the South African government planned to over the course of the next year release four more requests for proposals for new power generation projects – in renewable energy, gas, coal and battery storage respectively.



“These projects would be expected to provide over 7,000 megawatts of electricity. These new sources of electricity are vital to ensure a reliable supply of energy into the future,” he said.



Most of Eskom’s 15 coal-fired power stations are more 40-year-old and are prone to breakdowns. The power utility also has one nuclear-powered power station and nine smaller stations that run on a combination of diesel, pumped storage and hydroelectricity.



“In addition, much of the necessary maintenance on these plants was neglected for many years. Eskom estimates that breakdowns consume as much as a fifth of our electricity capacity,” he said.



“That is why, as we build this new generation capacity, Eskom is working to ensure that it undertakes the planned maintenance of its plants,” Ramaphosa said.



“While this may mean load shedding in the immediate term, better maintenance will lead to improved plant performance in the medium term and to greater stability in supply.”



Ramaphosa said that Eskom is steadily being restored to technical, operational and financial viability – this while the country’s electricity system was being made more efficient and competitive.



– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Devereaux Morkel

105500770-1539253589126gettyimages-909184932

Resolving Energy Challenges “Fundamental” For Economic Recovery, Says Ramaphosa

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="820" height="527" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/GettyImages-1064245894-820x527.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-398696" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/GettyImages-1064245894-820x527.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/GettyImages-1064245894-300x193.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/GettyImages-1064245894-768x494.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/GettyImages-1064245894-1536x988.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/GettyImages-1064245894-scaled.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Pedestrian walk past a Safaricom shop in Nairobi on November 22, 2018. (Photo by SIMON MAINA / AFP) (Photo credit should read SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, March 3 (ANA) – Safaricom in Kenya has partnered with the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) to roll out a smart mobile payment solution for students of tertiary institutions to access and utilise their loans and bursaries.



In a statement dated Tuesday, Safaricom said the solution would aid HELB to promote responsible spending. Funds will be locked for specific allocations, such as tuition or library fees, and only accessible to the specific Paybill account of the recipient’s university or TVET institution.



The students upkeep allowance can now also be transferred into the student’s M-Pesa wallet for everyday use.



“Technology today is not only revolutionising every aspect of our lives, but also creating opportunities to enhance efficiency and accountability. We are pleased to support the Higher Education Loans Board to deploy a solution that suits the digital lifestyle of students in tertiary institutions,” said chief financial services officer at Safaricom Sitoyo Lopokoiyit.



Lopokoiyit said students can access the system through HELB USSD and the mobile app once completed, from where they will be able to view their loan allocations, current balances and statements and make payments.



HELB disbursed more than 15 billion Kenyan shillings (about US$137 million) to more than 200,000 beneficiaries annually. Part of the loan was usually channelled directly to the learning institution to settle part of the tuition and accommodation fees, while the rest was sent to the student for upkeep.



Safaricom said the solution would create efficiencies for all stakeholders by reducing queues during registration as students can now pay through their mobile phones. There would be effective management and monitoring of all loans throughout the loan life cycle.



“The roll-out of this smart solution marks a major milestone in our digitisation journey. It not only enhances efficiency in our operations, but also enables us to step up the experience of beneficiaries, who are digital natives. The solution will allow the student to access and make transactions within the solution’s ecosystem,” said HELB CEO Charles Ringera.



– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher

KENYA-ECONOMY-SAFARICOM-TELECOM

Kenya’s Safaricom Helps Students Manage Their Loans Via Phones

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1160299406-820x547.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-397971" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1160299406-820x547.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1160299406-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1160299406-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1160299406-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1160299406-scaled.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Emissions rise from towers at the Sasol Ltd. Sasol One Site in Sasolburg, South Africa, on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019. Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, February 22 (ANA) – Integrated energy and chemical company Sasol said on Monday its headline earnings per share increased by more than 100 percent to R19.16 (US$1.29) in the six months ended December compared with the same period the previous year.



Sasol said despite a 23 percent decrease in the rand/barrel oil price, its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation decreased by only six percent.


		
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“This achievement is as a result of a strong cash cost, working capital and capital expenditure performance in response to the challenging environment,” it said.



The company said it had decided not to pursue a rights issue given the current tough macroeconomic outlook and the significant progress made on its response plan initiatives.



While cash flows were impacted by low crude oil prices, softer chemical prices, plant downtime and the impact of Covid-19, its cash conservation initiative and asset divestment programme enabled the company to repay approximately R28 billion (US$1.9 billion) of debt.



“Given our current financial leverage and the risk of a prolonged period of economic uncertainty, the board believes that it would be prudent to continue with the suspension of dividends,” Sasol said.



“We expect the balance sheet to regain flexibility following the implementation of our comprehensive response plan strategy.”



Last Friday Sasol approved the final investment decision on the Mozambique Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) license area, a project estimated to cost US$760 million.



On Monday, it said the project would entail Mozambique in-country monetisation of gas through a 450 megawatt gas-fired power plant and a liquefied petroleum gas facility in the same time frame.



“The balance of the gas produced will be exported to South Africa to sustain our operations,” said Sasol.



“The PSA development underpins Sasol’s gas transformation strategy by securing additional gas supply from southern Mozambique into Sasol’s gas value chain starting 2024 and serves as a cornerstone in addressing Sasol’s sustainability agenda.”



– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa

Sasol Ltd.’s South Africa Plants Threatened By Emission Standards

Sasol Interim Earnings More Than Double

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1302717103-820x547.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-397873" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1302717103-820x547.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1302717103-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1302717103-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1302717103-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1302717103-scaled.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA &#8211; FEBRUARY 18: In this photo illustration reports on Facebook&#8217;s news ban on Australian and International content on February 18, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. Facebook has banned publishers an users in Australia from posting it sharing news content as the Australian government prepares to pass laws that will require social media companies to pay news publishers for sharing using content on their platforms. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



CAPE TOWN, February 19 (ANA) – Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has committed to apply laws to Facebook that force the social media giant to pay publishers for their media content.



In its dispute with the Australian authorities over paying for content, Facebook blocked all media content in Australia on Thursday.



Facebook not only blocked domestic and foreign news outlets for Australians, but also removed state government and emergency department accounts.



The proposed Media Bargaining Bill is designed to address a power imbalance between social media giants and publishers, whereby Facebook and Google are scooping up the majority of the advertising revenue. Australian publishers have complained that it is not a level playing field.



The bill includes negotiation safety, which allows for news outlets to negotiate commercial deals with Facebook and Google for news content used, and to prevent the tech sites from dominating the negotiations.



According to the Straits Times, if an agreement can’t be reached, an arbitrator will decide on the most reasonable offer. And, if the social media platforms were to break the agreement, they would face an US$7.8 million penalty.



“There is a lot of world interest in what Australia is doing. That is why I invite Facebook to constructively engage because they know that what Australia will do here is likely to be followed by many other Western jurisdictions,” Morrison told reporters in Sydney on Friday.



Morrison added that the leaders of Britain, France, Canada and India were backing them and would adopt the same approach.



The proposed legislation will initially apply to Facebook and Google, but authorities said it is likely other big tech firms will be added to it as well.



“Facebook was wrong, Facebook’s actions were unnecessary, they were heavy-handed, and they will damage its reputation here in Australia,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said in a news conference on Thursday.



“There is something much bigger here at stake than just one or two commercial deals. This is about Australia’s sovereignty,” he said.



– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher

Facebook Australia Restricts News Publishers And Users In Response To Proposed Media Bargaining Laws

Australia Commits To Content Law Despite Facebook News Blackout

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1230609367-820x547.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-397874" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1230609367-820x547.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1230609367-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1230609367-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1230609367-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1230609367-scaled.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Tatenda Chivaura, head brewer, checks the bubbler of a beer barrel at Mad Giant Brewery, in Newtown, Johannesburg, on January 15, 2021. &#8211; Craft breweries in South Africa had to adjust their operations to survive the third alcohol ban, where buying and transporting alcoholic beverages is prohibited, imposed by the government to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
Mad Giant Brewery has reconverted part of his staff to the production of hydroalcoholic gel. During the first wave of the pandemic, this new activity kept him afloat. But this time it&#8217;s a bit harder. (Photo by Luca Sola / AFP) (Photo by LUCA SOLA/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



CAPE TOWN, February 21 (ANA) – The Beer Association of South Africa (Basa) has called on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni to offer the industry some tax relief ahead of his <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/south-africa-readies-most-important-budget-yet-as-recovery-hangs-in-the-balance/">budget speech scheduled for Wednesday</a>.



“We believe this is the least that government can do to help our members, especially small craft brewers, whose businesses have been devastated by 19 weeks of restricted trading,” Basa said in a statement on Sunday.



To help rebuild the local beer industry, Basa urged Mboweni to make a commitment not to increase excise taxes for the forthcoming financial year.



“At the very least, we call on him to commit to a below-inflation increase in excise taxes on beer. We need to save jobs and livelihoods, but we cannot do so without any targeted relief from government,” Basa said.



“We think that government’s unexpected R100 billion revenue windfall is an opportunity to offer some tax relief to businesses that were shut down by government for long periods.”



The <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/media/6224400638001/new-alcohol-ban-having-a-devastating-effect-on-sas-wine-and-hospitality-industry/">three blanket bans on alcohol</a> – due to Covid-19 regulations – had resulted in beer sales declining by 195 million litres since March last year.



“We have seen small businesses and craft breweries take the greatest of hits, with a survey conducted by our member, the Craft Brewer’s Association, indicating that 87.5 percent of craft breweries were at risk of shutting down following the third blanket ban on alcohol sales. The majority of these businesses have no certainty of survival beyond the end of February,” Basa said.



The overall potential sales revenue lost from the alcohol industry amounted to R36.3 billion with a total annualised loss to GDP at R51.9 billion, which was equivalent to one percent of GDP. More worrying still, were the 200,200 jobs which remained at risk within the alcohol industry, “which is staggering for survival under present conditions”.



“Basa would like to reiterate that there is a desperate need for other payment deferrals and financial relief in terms of automatic liquor licence renewals if we are to have any hope of saving the businesses that remain standing.”



Since the beginning of the pandemic, the beer industry had contributed to mitigating the economic effects of the lockdown on the poor and homeless. Over four million meals had been served to hungry South Africans, using craft brewers’ funds, premises, staff, and distribution networks.



One Cape Town brewery, the Woodstock Brewery, had served 2.9 million meals to hungry Capetonians after a massive fundraising campaign among craft beer enthusiasts.



“This business is one that is now sadly faced with closure as a result of lost revenues. It is a truly tragic reality to witness those who have fed others go hungry themselves.



“While Basa remains committed to working openly and transparently with government, we cannot continue to keep businesses alive as an industry association alone.“



National government needed to come to the table – and fast – if it did not want to increase South Africa’s already exceptionally high unemployment rate of 30.8 percent, Basa said.



Basa comprises of the Craft Brewers Association, Heineken South Africa, and South African Breweries.



– African News Agency (ANA), editing by Jacques Keet

SAFRICA-HEALTH-VIRUS-ECONOMY-ALCOHOL

Beer Industry Calls On Finance Minister Mboweni For Tax Relief To Save Jobs And Livelihoods

Nigerian Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo disclosed that Nigeria is planning to have at least 30 percent of its total electricity supply from renewable sources, majorly solar power in the next nine years.



CAPE TOWN, February 15 (ANA) – Nigeria says that it wants 30% of its total power supply to come from renewable energy sources by the year 2030.



According to media reports, Nigerian Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo disclosed that Nigeria is planning to have at least 30 percent of its total electricity supply from renewable sources, majorly solar power in the next nine years.



The vice president was speaking at the inauguration of a 1.12MW Solar Hybrid Project at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi on Thursday.



The West African country also plans to reduce carbon emission by 20% by 2030.



According to a report by This Day, the Vice President Osinbajo noted that the ongoing projects being executed by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) were critical to the achievement of that objective and reduction of Nigeria’s carbon footprints.



Osinbajo said that this is in line with the globally endorsed Climate Change agenda and Nigerian President’s Buhari administration’s effort to connect more communities to off-grid power and reliable energy sources, writes Vanguard news.



According to reports, around 85 million people lack access to electricity in the West African country.



Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum says that as the country recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, the government should use this particularly unique moment to reset and accelerate progress on delivering sustainable energy.



WEF says that the pandemic has highlighted the deep divide in Africa on energy access progress.



In March 2020, The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Nigerian government launched the National Electrification Project (NEP).



The project sought to tackle Nigeria’s critical energy access shortfalls, writes Africa Oil and Power.com.



African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Naomi Mackay

Engineer walking on a wind farm at sunset

Nigeria Wants 30% Of Its Power Supply To Come From Renewable Sources By 2030

RUSTENBURG, February 15 (ANA) – Zimbabwe will start vaccinating people against Covid-19 this week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Monday.



“The first batch of vaccines for Zimbabwe has been successfully delivered. We start vaccinating Zimbabweans this week! The faster our country is protected against this virus, the faster Zimbabwe’s economy can flourish. God bless you all, God bless Zimbabwe,” he said on his Twitter account.



The president’s tweet followed the arrival of 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China. The consignment arrived on Monday morning around 3am.



The country is expected to buy more than one million vaccine doses from China later in the year.



Zimbabwe has recorded 35,172 infections, 1,400 deaths and 30,601 recoveries.



It is the first southern African country to roll out the vaccine after neighbouring South Africa suspended the roll-out of the AstraZeneca vaccine which arrived on February 1.



The roll-out was suspended after a clinical trial showed the doses were ineffective against the new 501.V2 variant of Covid-19 first detected in South Africa.



Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said during his weekly Covid-19 update address on Sunday that the country was expecting its first batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine later this week and health workers would be the first to be inoculated against Covid-19. Another batch was expected at the end of February.



Eswatini was expecting 108,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine later in February, but Health Minister Lizzie Nkosi said last week that the country would no longer used the vaccine following its reported shortcomings against the 501.V2 variant.



The country would instead enter into talks with other suppliers.



Namibia was also expecting to receive its first batch of the Covid-19 vaccine doses in February.



– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher

President Mnangagwa Holds Press Conference After The Death Of Robert Mugabe

Zim To Start Covid-19 Vaccine Roll-Out This Week

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="820" height="546" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1231183428-820x546.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-397448" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1231183428-820x546.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1231183428-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1231183428-768x511.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1231183428-1536x1022.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1231183428-scaled.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Nigeria&#8217;s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala poses at her home in Potomac, Maryland, near Washington DC, as she was confirmed as the first woman and first African leader of the beleaguered World Trade Organization, on February 15, 2021 (Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



The General Council agreed by consensus to select Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria as the organisation’s seventh director-general.



CAPE TOWN, February 15 (ANA) – Nigeria’s Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala made history on Monday, becoming the first woman and first African selected to head up the World Trade Organization (WTO).


		
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The General Council agreed by consensus to select Okonjo-Iweala as the organisation’s seventh director-general, according to a statement issued by the organisation.



WTO members took the decision to appoint Okonjo-Iweala at a special meeting of the General Council after a selection process that included eight candidates from around the world.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">BREAKING: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria is appointed as the next WTO Director-General. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala makes history as the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO. Her term starts on the 1st of March 2021. More details soon. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WTODG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WTODG</a><a href="https://twitter.com/NOIweala?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NOIweala</a> <a href="https://t.co/2RJkkfK2Id">pic.twitter.com/2RJkkfK2Id</a>&mdash; WTO (@wto) <a href="https://twitter.com/wto/status/1361318272285745152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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She is set to take office on March 1.



General Council chairperson David Walker said: “This is a very significant moment for the WTO. On behalf of the General Council, I extend our warmest congratulations to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her appointment as the WTO’s next director-general and formally welcome her to this General Council meeting.”



According to a statement, Okonjo-Iweala said a key priority for her would be to work with members to quickly address the economic and health consequences brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.



“I am honoured to have been selected by WTO members as WTO director-general,” said Okonjo-Iweala.



Okonjo-Iweala said that a strong WTO was vital if the world was to recover fully and rapidly from the devastation wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic.



“I look forward to working with members to shape and implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again. Our organisation faces many challenges, but working together we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile and better adapted to the realities of today.”



Okonjo-Iweala’s chances of heading up the WTO were boosted by South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee’s withdrawal from the race early in February.



Yoo’s withdrawal came about when dozens of former US government officials urged President Joe Biden to endorse Okonjo-Iweala after the Trump administration blocked her selection in 2020.



– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher

US-WTO-SECRETARY GENERAL-NGOZI

Nigeria’s Dr Okonjo-Iweala Makes History As First Woman And First African To Become WTO Boss

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JOHANNESBURG, February 9 (ANA) – Rwanda’s government has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Japan to deploy three additional state-of-the art robots to reinforce its efforts against Covid-19.



In a statement on Tuesday the ministry of information and communications technology (ICT) and innovation said the new devices deployed at Nyarugenge district hospital were cutting-edge ultra violet light robots which would help in cleaning and disinfecting treatment centres, hospitals and places of mass gathering such as markets and offices to limit the spread of the virus.



The robots have unique features including lamps that emit ultraviolet lights destroying deadly microorganisms which might be missed during the manual cleaning process, helping to reduce infection rates for patients and health workers.



They also have the capacity to speedily clean and disinfect operating, labour and delivery, ICU and isolation discharge rooms as well as other indoor spaces. On average, one robot can disinfect a room in 32 minutes. They can also kill viruses other than SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.



“These robots offer a faster, more effective and less labour-intensive disinfection alternative to manual cleaning,” minister of ICT and innovation Paula Ingabire said.



“The government has placed ICT at the centre of its transformation and the health sector is a priority sector where technology is being used to provide better health outcomes through improved service delivery, patient experience, health and safety.”



The introduction of robots in Covid-19 case management has contributed to limiting human interaction between healthcare providers and patients, the director general of the Rwanda Biomedical Centre Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana said.



“As we introduce the use of robots in the infection prevention control activities we intend to even minimise risks of infection of our IPC staff as they conduct decontamination procedures,” Nsanzimana said.



In addition to vaccines, the robots represent yet another triumph of modern science which will protect frontline workers and prevent the spread of disease, UNDP’s resident representative in the East African country Maxwell Gomera said.



“Congratulations to the government of Rwanda for once again moving forcefully to confront the Covid-19 pandemic,” Gomera said.



Rwanda has so far recorded 16,621 cases of Covid-19, out of which 223 people have died.



– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa

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