Technology

How to Win at an Online Casino?

MaraviPost

If you’re looking to win big at an online casino, it’s important to start by understanding the games you’re playing. Each game has its own set of rules and odds, so it’s important to do your research before placing any bets. In addition, be sure to familiarize yourself with the different types of bets available, and always bet within your comfort zone. By following these tips, you’ll be on your way to winning big at an online casino!

1. Understand the games you’re playing

When you’re trying to win at an online casino, it’s important that you understand the games you’re playing. This way, you’ll know which bets are likely to pay off and which ones are a waste of money. It’s also important to familiarize yourself with the rules of each game, so you don’t make any mistakes that could cost you money.

2. Familiarize yourself with the different types of bets

When you’re trying to win at an online casino, it’s important that you understand the different types of bets that are available to you. This way, you’ll be able to make smarter choices about where to put your money and which bets are likely to pay off. It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the different odds associated with each type of bet, so you can make more informed decisions about where to place your money.

3. Bet within your comfort zone

When you’re trying to win at an online casino, it’s important to bet within your comfort zone. This way, you’ll be less likely to make mistakes and you’ll stay in control of your money. It’s also important to remember that not every bet is going to be a winner, so you should always bet what you can afford to lose. If you start betting too much money, you’re likely to end up losing it all.

4. Plan ahead and set aside time to play casino games

One of the most important things to remember if you want to win at an online casino is that you need to set aside time for it. This means dedicating a specific block of time each day or week to playing your favorite casino games. If you don’t do this, you’ll likely just end up losing money rather than winning it.

5. Study the chart of probabilities for each game

One of the best ways to ensure you come out on top when playing at an online casino is to study the chart of probabilities for each game. This will give you a good idea of which bets are more likely to pay off, and which ones you should avoid. By planning ahead and making informed choices, you’ll be well on your way to winning at an online casino!

6. Play for fun, not profit

Playing games for profit can be a very tricky business. It’s important to remember that casino games are meant to be enjoyed, not taken too seriously. If you focus too much on making money, you’re likely to make costly mistakes and end up losing more than you win. Instead, play for the joy of it and let the profits take care of themselves!

7. Keep track of your winnings and losses

It’s important to keep track of your wins and losses when playing at an online casino, as this will help you to determine how successful you are overall. By tracking your progress, you can better assess which games are working in your favour and make adjustments accordingly. Additionally, it’s a good idea to set limits on how much you’re willing to lose in any one sitting, so you don’t end up overspending.

8. Quit while you’re ahead

When you’re playing at an online casino, it’s important to know when to quit. If you’re ahead, it’s best to walk away and enjoy your winnings. This will ensure you have more money to play with later on, and you won’t risk losing everything you’ve already won. Conversely, if you’re behind, it’s best to stop playing altogether and save your money for another day. Quitting while you’re ahead is a great way to protect your bankroll and ensure future success!

9. Avoid chasing losses

If you’re losing money while playing at an online casino, it’s best to avoid chasing those losses. This means continuing to play in the hopes of recouping your losses, which is often a recipe for disaster. In most cases, you’ll only end up losing even more money, and you may even go into debt. It’s much wiser to walk away from the table and come back another day. This will help you to avoid costly mistakes and protect your bankroll.

10. Have a budget and stick to it

When you’re playing at an online casino, it’s important to remember that it’s a game of chance. This means that you can’t always expect to win, and you should never gamble with money you can’t afford to lose. It’s therefore essential to have a budget in place and stick to it while playing at an online casino. This will help to ensure you remain in control of your gambling and don’t end up overspending.

Lifestyle

Brazil: Thousands of indigenous people demonstrate for their land rights

Maravi Post Reporter

Last updated: 59 minutes ago

Thousands of indigenous Brazilians are camping out in Brasilia this week to demand their rights and protest against the government of Jair Bolsonaro, which has tried to push forward the economic exploitation of their territories. Representatives of hundreds of different indigenous peoples occupied a large open field in the central region of the capital on Tuesday, about 4km from the headquarters of the presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court. Backed by its agribusiness allies in Congress, the Brazilian government is trying to speed up the passage of several bills seen as harmful to indigenous people and the environment, including one to legalise mining in reserves.

More about

Source: Africanews

Regional

Burkina Faso: Compaore sentenced to life for Sankara assassination

Maravi Post Reporter

– –

A military tribunal in Burkina Faso has sentenced to life in prison former President Blaise Compaore for his role in the murder of former leader Thomas Sankara.

The pan-African leader was assassinated over three decades but it is only now that a trial is taking place to reveal the facts.

Compaore was tried and sentenced though in absentia by a military tribunal on Wednesday. He is in exile abroad.

Compaore was sentenced along with his then-security chief, Hyacinthe Kafando, who also received a life term.

The tribunal said it found the men “guilty of attack on state security, complicity in murder and concealment of a corpse.”

– –

Sankara’s widow Mariam Sankara who was present for the sentencing told the media she was “satisfied” with the verdict, but “wished” Compaore and Kafando were present.

“It is not good that people kill other people and stop the process of development of a country without being punished,” she told reporters.

Last year when the trial started a former soldier admitted his role in events leading to the death of Thomas Sankara.

Yamba Elise Ilboudo, 62 who was on trial, charged with complicity in endangering state security told the tribunal that he helped transport a hit squad to assassinate Thomas Sankara.

– –

In his testimony to the court, the 62-year-old former soldier said on the day of the October 15 1987 coup, he was “at Blaise Compaore‘s home” with other men.

“We were under the orders of Hyacinthe Kafando, as head of security,” Ilboudo said.

According to Ilboudo he was told by Kafando to drive to the meeting which Sankara was attending.

He testified that when they arrived, Kafando and another individual called Maiga, “who had been driving Blaise Compaore’s car, got out and opened fire.”

Kafando, according to the ex-soldiers testimony then ordered the men in the two cars to get out with some going “to the rear of the building where President Sankara was”.

Ilboudo said he remained in the car during the subsequent incidents and did not open fire.

Kafando became chief warrant officer in Compaore’s presidential guard after that coup.

He is alleged to have been in charge of the hit squad. Kafando is currently on the run.

Compaore who boycotted the trial has always denied allegations that he engineered the assassination.

Fourteen people were on trial for the 1987 assassination in which Thomas Sankara and 12 others were killed at a top government meeting.

Remembering Thomas Sankara

Source: Africafeeds.com

Source: Africa Feeds

AMA, Education, Technology

Keeping Kids in School: How Fintech is Helping Parents in Nairobi’s Densest Slum

MaraviPost

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 7th April 2022 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/-Kenya’s constitution guarantees free public education for children and has made great strides to make that happen over the past decade. “However, persistent historical barriers, such as poverty and distance to school, continue to prevent many children from accessing the teaching and education they deserve. For years, this has stumped education policymakers” says Andrew Zerzan, Deputy Regional Director and Director of Education, Arts & Civil Society for British Council in Sub Saharan Africa.

A recent study by UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2021). Global Out-of-school Children Initiative (OOSCI): Kenya country study found that there were still over 1.1 million primary school aged children out of the classroom last year across the country. Furthermore, British Council analysis of pre-pandemic data found that one out of seven primary school-aged children and one out of two secondary school-aged teens were out of the classroom. Research highlights that out-of-school kids and dropouts are most prevalent in isolated rural communities and crowded urban slums. 

The Mathare slum in Nairobi is one of the most densely populated places on the planet. Population estimates range from a quarter to half a million residents packed together in little over a square kilometre. Public services are overstretched with most residents unable to access clean water or sewer lines. There are large piles of streetside trash and the river clears most waste from people’s homes. It is estimated that roughly 40% of the population are primary school aged, 6-13 years old, but there are only a handful public schools providing for youth education.

“What can education policymakers and education funders do to get the tens of thousands of children not in school educated?” Zerzan questions.

 Low-cost private schools

Although many children in Mathare remain out of school, low-cost private schools are ubiquitous and a powerful reminder of the resilience of African communities to make do with very little. The schools vary in size and quality, with only some officially registered. Most have dirt floors and holes in their corrugated metal roofs. 

One of these is Daystar Primary School. Daystar has six classrooms separated by pieces of wood and paper. It sits next to the river so students learn to tolerate wet floors when the river floods or water droplets fall from the ceiling when it rains.Founded in 2013 by a passionate teacher, Patrick Juma, the school has weathered the pandemic by skipping payments to its staff when it runs out of cash to pay them. Teachers typically earn 10,000 Kenyan Shillings – about $100 – a month in salary, but this varies depending on the ability of students’ parents to pay tuition. Like many low-cost private schools, the only way for the school to pressure parents to pay for teaching is by sending their children home until their tuition fee is settled.

The impact of poor school attendance

The evidence is clear: irregular attendance causes kids to fall behind. They miss days of instruction and, more importantly, they lose the confidence to learn. This creates a vicious cycle that is hard to escape.Keeping kids in school is a policy priority for Kenya, as well as international best practice. However, British Council research before the pandemic showed that despite an increased proportion of children attending primary school, the percentage who fail to complete primary school was rising at a rate of 4% per year in the country.

 Parents are often single mothers who work low-level service jobs that pay a daily wage. They typically are only able to afford a single meal for their families daily. They frequently struggle to pay the fee it takes to keep their children in school. This is especially the case after big shock periods, such as Christmas when parents take their children “up country” to visit relatives in distant villages, incurring transport costs and days of lost income. For Daystar’s 302 students, their teachers and Patrick, January is usually a very hard month. 

Overcoming seasonal financial bumps

This year, Patrick has trialled within his community a new way to overcome the seasonal financial bump and avoid having to send children home. He has launched a partnership with a local fintech start-up, Jackfruit Finance, that has kept payroll on track and students in school –and represents an education investment that education funders should pay attention to.Short-term financing was provided for 83 students, about a quarter of those at Daystar, enabling their fee payments to be spread evenly over 8 weeks instead of requiring it all upfront. Parents are more likely to pay a small amount each week as it reflects how they earn. The school manages its collections and overall finances via a mobile app that allows it to receive mobile money payments and track each student’s repayments and debt in real-time. 

Promising results

The initial results of this investment in education show promise. The school has paid all staff on time and is able to better plan the school year. Most parents are on track to pay their loans back by the end of the term, if not earlier.Comparative pupil attendance rates are much higher than in previous years, indicating that the shock of a large payment just after Christmas was likely eased by the new financing solution Daystar is offering. The numbers are compelling, with nearly two-thirds of non-financed kids sent home and missing class while only a tenth of financed kids were. The positive numbers match those of nearby Golden Bells primary school, which is also piloting the financial solution. Low-cost private schools around Mathare are seeking to follow their approach.

The free public education introduced in African countries decades ago was intended to give more children access to schooling, and countries like Kenya have made good progress in achieving that. Yet, the most economically disadvantaged too often remain outside the public school system. Innovations like those we see in the Mathare slum, where low-cost private schools are able to access financial solutions that help parents ride shocks, may be a big step forward in achieving youth education for all.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of ENAMEN Consulting

Fintech for the Neediest Schools: Jackfruit Finance 

Poverty, crime and lack of infrastructure.
It is no wonder few fintechs have tried to enter the low-cost private school market in the Nairobi slums – until now. Jackfruit Finance is the first-of-its-kind; financing some of the poorest schools in the country with short-term loans, it is enabling schools and parents to maintain a stable cash flow, smoothing the shocks of big tuition payments that they often cannot make.
Jackfruit leverages community relationships to identify credit-worthy parents and schools, maximising the ability to pay and therefore helping kids to stay in school. To date the start-up has supported 20 schools and over 500 of the poorest children in Kenya.

Launched in late 2021, Jackfruit has early signs of success, with parents having repaid 91% of debt from the first term. Given the demand in communities for its financial product, Jackfruit is scaling rapidly. The start-up expects to support more than 50 schools and 2,000 children by mid-2022 and 300 schools and 15,000 children by the end of the year. 

About the British Council
The British Council builds connections, understanding, and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education, and the English language.We work in two ways – directly with individuals to transform their lives and with governments and partners to make a bigger difference for the longer term, creating benefits for millions of people all over the world.We help young people gain the skills, confidence, and connections they are looking for to realise their potential. We support youth to learn English, get a high-quality education, and gain internationally recognized qualifications. Our work in arts and culture stimulates creative expression and nurtures creative enterprise.We are on the ground in over 20 African countries and deliver impact working with local institutions and partners. 

For more information please email ENAMEN Consulting with the subject Jackfruit Finance. 

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

Business, Development

Sahel Alliance’s 3rd General Assembly strengthens commitments to Sahelian populations

Maravi Post Reporter

Representatives of the Sahel Alliance and its partners met in Madrid on 4 April 2022, under the chairmanship of the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, for the Sahel Alliance’s 3rd General Assembly. Deeply concerned by the deterioration of the political and security situation, the escalation of crises and a worsening food situation in several G5 Sahel countries, the members agreed on the resolutions that would allow for the continuation and strengthening of their interventions to the benefit of the populations.

In his opening speech, Minister José Manuel Albares recalled the importance of maintaining the focus on the Sahel: “The coordination of the main development actors is more necessary than ever. This is the moment for us, partners, to renew our commitment to the development and stability of the Sahel, for the benefit of the Sahelian people. This General Assembly is a valuable opportunity to do so.”

The Sahel is as much a land of opportunities as it is of challenges. Although the region boasts abundant human, cultural and natural resources, offering considerable potential for growth and development, the deep-rooted challenges it faces greatly affect prosperity and peace. Many areas in the G5 Sahel countries are plagued by rising conflict and tension.

Nearly 2.5 million people have fled their homes over the past decade. Around 6.7 million people are in need of emergency food assistance, a figure that could rise to 10.5 million people if action is not taken soon. This already critical situation is compounded by the unprecedented impact of the war in Ukraine on the global grain and fertiliser market for domestic supplies and assistance to food-insecure populations. Finally, the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the economic, health and nutritional vulnerabilities that populations were already facing.

“Faced with this situation, we must understand that although we, the Sahelian countries, are responsible for the future of our states as leaders, we remain dependent on the international political, economic and financial environment, over which we have little control. Also, the security situation in our countries reminds us of the urgency of development and of our particular responsibility in this area,” said Mahamat Hamid Koua, Chairman of the G5 Sahel Council of Ministers, in his opening remarks.

The members of the Sahel Alliance reaffirm their desire to remain fully engaged with the people of the G5 Sahel: since the launch of the Alliance in 2017, the number of projects they financed has tripled, as have their financial commitments, which have risen from €7.3 billion to €23 billion today.

The presence of the State and the delivery of essential services in all the territories of the G5 Sahel countries, the restoration of social cohesion and of the citizens’ confidence in their public institutions, remain an absolute priority. The members of the Alliance have strongly mobilised for the implementation of the G5 Sahel Emergency Development Programme, which targets fragile border regions and fully contributes to this objective.

The G5 Sahel Emergency Development Programme has shown rapid and tangible impacts: 1,080,000 beneficiaries have already benefited from improved access to water; 125,000 people have received food assistance; 1,572 structures contributing to conflict prevention and social cohesion have been created and 414,000 people have been trained in dialogue, conflict management and mediation. New phases of the funded projects are already being appraised or implemented, almost doubling the amount initially mobilised by Alliance members for this programme (€514 million to date).

The African Development Bank, one of the founding partners of the Sahel Alliance, said collective efforts and the need for coordination across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus to address the challenges of the region cannot be overemphasized. The African Development Bank is doing its part with more than $3 billion invested in the G5 Sahel, said Yero Baldeh, Director of the Transition States Coordination Office at the African Development Bank Group. These resources contribute to six core priorities of the Sahel, including agriculture, climate change, gender equality, youth employment, energy, and governance.

Baldeh represented African Development Bank Group President Akinwumi A. Adesina at the Sahel Alliance General Assembly. “In line with the African Development Bank’s newly approved Strategy for Addressing Fragility and Building Resilience in Africa (2022-2026), it is also our belief that creating an enabling business environment and catalyzing private sector investments in the G5 Sahel is essential to promoting a paradigm shift towards wealth creation in local communities. This is necessary for the creation of the much-needed jobs and opportunities for the women and youth of the region,” Baldeh said.

There will be no peace and stability in the Sahel without a profound and qualitative change in the living conditions of the Sahelian people. In the coming months, the Sahel Alliance will pursue and step up its efforts, together with its Sahelian partners, to contribute to this change. It will be able to count on three new full members: Canada, the United States and Sweden. These new memberships reflect an increased representativeness of the Alliance and a strengthened integration within it.

Recommendations of the members of the Sahel Alliance at the third General Assembly:

•          Maintain and adapt support for the benefit of the G5 Sahel populations in a context of growing instability and insecurity, so as not to see the gains that have been achieved in terms of development jeopardised. Reiterate the need to respect human rights, humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law, including by the defence and security forces.

•          Reiterate support for the G5 Sahel, a privileged partner for cooperation in the Sahel, while being aware of the challenges currently facing this institution.

•          Provide a coordinated response for the Sahelian populations and to the major food crisis facing the G5 Sahel countries.

•          Continue efforts in the most fragile areas while scaling up action in prevention zones in order to address the root causes of instability and limit the spread of conflicts and crises.

•          Strengthen collective support for peripheral fragile areas between the G5 Sahel countries and the coastal states of the Gulf of Guinea, with a view to prevention.

•          Intensify support for greater socioeconomic integration and increased participation of young people and women in political life.

•          Strengthen synergies with the Great Green Wall Initiative in the face of environmental and climate-related challenges that make vulnerable populations in the Sahel more fragile.

About the Sahel Alliance’s 3rd General Assembly

The Sahel Alliance’s 3rd General Assembly, chaired by Mr. José Manuel Albares Bueno, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, was held in Madrid on April 4, 2022 and enjoyed high-level attendance by its partners, with the participation of Mr. Mahamat Hamid Koua, Chadian Minister of Economy, Development Planning and International Cooperation and Current Chair of the G5 Sahel Council of Ministers, Mr. Hassoumi Massaoudou, Minister of State, Niger’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, African Integration and Nigeriens Abroad, Mr. Ousmane Mamoudou Kane, Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Promotion of Productive Sectors, General Francis Behanzin, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Mr. Eric Tiaré, Executive Secretary of the G5 Sahel, Mr. Maman Sidikou, High Representative of the African Union for the Sahel and Mali and Mr. Djimé Adoum, High Representative of the Sahel Coalition. On the members’ side, the General Assembly was attended by Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ms. Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Ms. Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of the International Organization of the Francophonie, Ms. Pilar Cancela Rodríguez, Spanish Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Ms. Marina Sereni, Italy’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. Antoine Chevrier, Canadian Assistant Deputy Minister for Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Ousmane Diagana, Vice President of the World Bank Group for West and Central Africa, Mr. Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, United Nations Special Coordinator for Development in the Sahel, Ms. Emanuela Del Re, European Union Special Representative for the Sahel, Mr. Georges Ternes, Ambassador and Special Envoy for the Sahel from Luxembourg, Mr. Jun Shimmi, Ambassador in charge of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) Ms Sari Rautio, Finland’s Ambassador to Spain, Mr Kenneth Thompson, Ireland’s Special Envoy for the Sahel, Mr Kristian Edinger, Denmark’s Special Envoy for the Sahel, Ms Rigmor Elianne Koti, Norway’s Special Representative for the Sahel, Mr Moazzam Malik, Director General for Africa of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Mr. Rémy Rioux, Director General of the French Development Agency (AFD), Ms. Birgitta Tazelaar, Deputy Director-General for International Cooperation at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Christoph Rauh, Africa Director of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and Chairman of Sahel Alliance’s Operational Steering Committee, Ms. Maria Shaw-Barragan, Director of Operations in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific of the European Investment Bank, Mr. Yero Baldeh, Director of the Transition States Coordination Office of the African Development Bank, Mr Fredrik Folkunger, Director and Deputy Head of the Africa Department at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Mr Claudio Tognola, Head of the West Africa Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms Hazel Onkelinx, Head of the Sahel, North Africa and Occupied Palestinian Territories Department of the Belgian Federal Public Service of Foreign Affairs, Maggie Janes-Lucas, Regional Director for the Sahel of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, and Alejandro Álvarez de la Campa, Director of the IFC’s Africa Advisory Service.

Access the declaration of the Alliance’s 3rd General Assembly: alliance-sahel.org
Source African Development Bank Group

Business, Development

Zimbabwe: African Development Bank notes progress on arrears clearance

Maravi Post Reporter

African Development Bank officials and representatives of the Zimbabwe government met on Wednesday to discuss the nation’s arrears clearance and ongoing partnership between the southern African nation and the development institution. They noted progress in Zimbabwe’s reform agenda.

African Development Bank Group Vice President Yacine Fal and a delegation on a tour of two southern African countries, held talks with finance minister Mthuli Ncube at the ministry offices in Harare. Ncube outlined the ongoing reforms in the wake of global headwinds such as drought, cyclones, the Covid-19 pandemic and more recently, fuel and fertilizer price hikes.

The Zimbabwe government has lowered taxes on fuel, made changes to its land policy and is implementing a range of social protection measures while tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, Ncube said. Two projects in particular are going well. The first, is an agriculture-based programme which has given relief to two million households and the second is a cash transfer programme, targeting children from poor families. Other measures included subsidized medical care for elderly people and other vulnerable population groups, and a grain distribution programme for populations in drought-hit areas.

Ncube said the government was discussing a new International Monetary Fund Staff Monitored Programme or SMP for Zimbabwe. SMPs are informal agreements between country national authorities and International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff to monitor the authorities’ economic program.

Ncube said the government had made significant efforts ahead of embarking on a new programme, including reducing inflation. He asked the African Development Bank to increase its private sector window with more capital and long-term funding and said the country would need additional bridge finance to hold interest rates steady.

Commending the achievements of Zimbabwe’s reform efforts achieved in a short period, Fal said continued coordination efforts for the reforms and dialogue with partners were crucial.

“You have a very ambitious reform programme and the challenges are many,” Fal said.

In remarks during the session, African Development Bank chief economist Kevin Urama said Zimbabwe’s reforms to its state-owned enterprises were a demonstration of its willingness to advance.  The African Development Bank’s Africa Natural Resources Centre could provide additional support and technical assistance in land policy. Its public finance management academy, which provides a framework for supporting regional member countries in their public financial and debt management efforts, specifically on training, technical assistance and policy dialogue, is another important tool which the Bank has on hand to assist, Urama said.

Director General for the Bank’s Southern Africa regional development and business delivery office Leila Mokaddem said the Bank and other development partners would discuss financial support for an SMP, which in the case of the African Development Bank, could potentially be sourced from its transitional support facility. “Without financial support an SMP cannot work,” Mokaddem said, adding that including the private sector and giving them incentives would be critical.

Following the finance ministry, the delegation continued to a meeting with Dr. M.J.M. Sibanda, Chief Secretary to the Zimbabwe president’s Cabinet. Sibanda, who chairs a tripartite committee of government, treasury and public services said despite the many challenges, the committee’s immediate priorities in the past months had been to push through reforms in governance and contracts.

He thanked the Bank for its corporate governance and procurement reform programme to Zimbabwe through capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, the health sector and $4.1 million in institutional support the African Development Bank has given for the nation’s state enterprises.

“We succeeded because of the support from the African Development Bank,” Sibanda said.

The Zimfund has been an important source of budget support for Zimbabwe in infrastructure and agriculture. African Development Bank Zimbabwe Country Manager Moono Mupotola said a 10-year programme ending in June 2022 would be replaced with a new fund, expanding to ICT and digital programmes and continued technical support.

“We would like to bring in the private sector, drawing on institutional investors in Zimbabwe such as pension funds,” Mupotola said.

Fal said a breakfast meeting organized earlier on Wednesday by the African Development Bank with ambassadors from the G7, European Union and other development partners, had been very encouraging

“We welcome this dialogue. These are baby steps, but we are getting there,” Fal said.
Source African Development Bank Group

Lifestyle

Sankara supporters gather at the monument following court ruling

Maravi Post Reporter

Supporters and members of a committee that honours the memory of Thomas Sankara, Burkina Faso’s revolutionary leader, gathered at the monument built at the place of his 1987 assassination following a military trial that convicted several accused, including ex-president Blaise Compaoré, to life in prison.

“It restores something at a global level and I think that all the people of Burkina Faso should be proud. Proud because we have a competent justice system that is capable 35 years later, with 20,000 pages, of speaking justice, of speaking the law” said Pierre Ouedraogo, President of the Thomas Sankara International Memorial Committee.

The former president was tried in absentia.

Blaise Compaoré lives in exile in Ivory Coast after being toppled by public protests in 2014.

The officer accused of leading the hit squad, Hyacinthe Kafando, has been on the run since 2016, and was also tried in absentia.

“Thanks to the insurrection, this trial was able to take place. Every cloud has a silver lining. Because if this trial was held under Blaise’s (Compaoré’s) regime, where everything was in his favour, where everything was under control, perhaps we would have had a manipulated trial and we the victims would perhaps have been humiliated” added Germaine Pitroipa, a relative of one of the victims.

Former trade minister Harouna Kabore is satisfied with the outcome.

“In the case of Thomas Sankara and his companions, justice will allow us to take a step forward in the knowledge of the truth and justice”, he said.

The six-month trial was avidly followed by many in the nation, for whom Sankara’s bloody death remains a dark blot on the country’s history.

Source: Africanews

Health

World Health Day: Take climate action, take care of each other

Maravi Post Reporter

In its call-to-action, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a shocking report on Monday, noting that 99 per cent of people breathe unhealthy air – mainly resulting from the burning of fossil fuels.

“The climate crisis is a health crisis: The same unsustainable choices that are killing our planet are killing people,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Health and social crises

The UN health agency warned that the steadily heating world is seeing mosquito-borne diseases spreading farther and faster, than ever before.

And extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, land degradation and water scarcity, are displacing people and affecting health, while pollution and plastics found at the bottom of the world’s deepest oceans and highest mountains, are increasingly making their way into food chains and blood streams.

Moreover, systems that produce highly processed, unhealthy foods and beverages, are driving a wave of obesity, increasing cancer and heart disease while generating up to a third of global greenhouse gas emissions.

These health and social crises are compromising people’s ability to take control over their health and lives, according to WHO.

The COVID factor

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted fault lines of inequity across the world, underlining the urgency of creating sustainable and healthy societies which do not breach ecological limits.

We need to ensure that all people have access to lifesaving and life-enhancing tools, systems, policies and environments, said the agency.

<!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–> A woman coming back from a field in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

WHO’s Manifesto for a healthy and green recovery from the pandemic prescribes protecting and preserving nature as the primary source of human health.

It advocates for investing in essential services – from water and sanitation to clean energy in healthcare facilities – ensuring a quick and healthy energy transition; promoting healthy and sustainable food systems; building healthy and liveable cities; and stopping taxpayers’ money from funding pollution.

And the Geneva Charter for well-being, highlights what global commitments are needed to achieve equitable health and social outcomes now and for future generations, without destroying the health of our planet. 

Sustainable living

At a time of heightened conflict and fragility, WHO is marking its founding day by launching the Our Planet, Our Health campaign, which re-imagines and re-prioritizes resources to create healthier societies.

“We need transformative solutions to wean the world off its addiction to fossil fuels, to reimagine economies and societies focused on well-being, and to safeguard the health of the planet on which human health depends,” Tedros underscored.

Through its World Health Day campaign, WHO is calling on governments, organizations, corporations, and citizens to share actions they are taking to protect the planet and human health. 

UN Health News

Opinion

Cross Dressing Bill Is Dead On Arrival, By Inibehe Effiong

Maravi Post Reporter

The House of Representatives is considering a Bill to prohibit and criminalize cross dressing in Nigeria. It’s astonishing that our legislators are majoring in frivolity and dissipating legislative time on the mundane.

It’s neither necessary nor expedient. I’m flummoxed by the silliness and incongruity of this Bill. It is indeed distasteful, that at a time when the country’s existence is under excruciating crisis, our so-called leaders are seeking to legislate on a dress code for Nigerians. If the Bill isn’t seeking to legislate on the dress code of Nigerians, what then is its purport?



First, it is impossible in this modern era, especially in a country that is supposed to be a secular and liberal democracy, for a law to define dressing by gender without ambiguity. Dressing in this age has become very versatile and flexible. To attempt to determine by legislation, what type of cloth a man and a woman should or should not wear, is the height of legislative misadventure and redundancy. It is not doable. The ambiguity will be too obvious.

Second, even if male and female dresses are capable of precise and definite definition and classification, can this Bill be validly brought within the legislative competence of the National Assembly? Should Nigeria have a federal law that regulates dressing for all Nigerians?

Only members of the Armed Forces and other security agencies can be made subject to a uniform national dress code. The NYSC can also do this. Likewise related agencies. Employers can also determine the dress code of their employees. Religious houses can also set their dress code.

The National Assembly cannot legally regulate dressing or prohibit cross dressing. I can’t see how this Bill qualifies under the enumerated legislative powers of the National Assembly under the Exclusive or Concurrent Lists under the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution.

Third, “cross dressing” is a form of artistic expression. It is a mode of dressing adopted by entertainers. Irrespective of our differing views about the likes of Bobrisky, James Brown, Denrele and others, we cannot deny the fact that they are entertainers of some sort. To therefore attempt to deprive them of their chosen career which isn’t harmful to anyone is unacceptable.

A country like Nigeria with cultural, religious and ideological diversity, should be more tolerant and accommodating of people who choose to express themselves differently.

Fourth, Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) guarantees the fundamental right to freedom of expression. Expression is not circumscribed to spoken or written words. People can express themselves in words, dressing and so on. This Bill if passed, will be subjected to serious constitutional challenge in court. I will not hesitate to test its validity in court in the public interest.

Fifth, this Bill is unwarranted and unnecessary. Cross dressing is still a very rare phenomenon in Nigeria.

How many cross dressers do we have in Nigeria? Can the sponsor of this Bill mention 20 known cross dressers in the country?. There is no cross dressing epidemic in the country. This Bill is seeking a cure a disease that is non-existent. Cross dressing isn’t harmful. Is it?

Sixth, this Bill is another sinister attempt to distract Nigerians from the palpable failures of this regime. We are currently witnessing the unabated slaughter of Nigerians without any serious effort by the government to address it. The economy is comatose. Inflation is rising. Our universities are currently shut. It is rather upsetting that rather than focus on these and other pressing national issues, our legislators are finding time to entertain themselves with a trivial Bill that will neither help their worsening image nor solve our problems.

I call on the sponsor(s) of this Bill to withdraw it and attend to important issues. This Bill is an attempt to introduce the primitive Taliban ideology into Nigeria. It is dead on arrival.

Inibehe Effiong is a Legal Practitioner based in Lagos.

[email protected] 

Source saharareporters

Business, Malawi

“16.5% VAT removal on cooking oil is useless”- Kondwani Nankhumwa

Maravi Post Reporter

By Dorica Mtenje

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Leader of the opposition in Malawi Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa described the removal of 16.5% Value Added Tax (VAT) on cooking oil is baseless as the cooking oil price keeps on rising.

Nankhumwa said this during his sine die remarks on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.

Cooking oil high cost

He said Malawians are still struggling to survive due high cost of living.

Nankhumwa added that it is very sad that civil servants salaries still remain the same regardless of the increase of goods prices everyday.

He therefore urged the minister of finance to find immediate alternative to resolve the issue at the ground.

However, Leader of the house Richard Chimwendo said government will see what will do will cooking oil companies regarding that they are failing to adhere to call.

Chimwendo said the cooking oil companies betrayed them as they have been pointing out VAT in their increase in price.

“Its better we could have just leave the VAT on cooking oil and allow it to help government in several projects ,” said Chimwendo.

The house has rise to sine die as it commenced on February 3 and ended on 6 April

Exit mobile version