Economy
UN needs R2.8bn in support for hunger-stricken Zimbabwe, as bread costs rise 20-fold in 6 months
Published
3 years agoon
FIN24 -The United Nations has called for increased international support for Zimbabwe as eight million people – or roughly half the population – face hunger.
The World Food Programme is planning to double the number of Zimbabweans that it assists to 4.1 million, but says it will require over $200m (R2.8bn at current exchange rates) to meet its needs in the first half of 2020 alone.
“As things stand, we will run out of food by end of February, coinciding with the peak of the hunger season – when needs are at their highest,” said Niels Balzer, WFP’s Deputy Country Director in Zimbabwe, in a statement.
“Firm pledges are urgently needed as it can take up to three months for funding commitments to become food on people’s tables.”
To meet the increasing hunger needs of the population, the WFP was forced to launch an emergency ‘lean season’ assistance programme in August, months earlier than expected. The country is likely to face another below average harvest in 2020 following poor rainfall.
Hilal Elver, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, visited Zimbabwe in November where she witnessed how women and children are bearing the brunt of the crisis.
“In a desperate effort to find alternative means of livelihood, some women and children are resorting to coping mechanisms that violate their most fundamental human rights and freedoms. As a result, school drop-outs, early marriage, domestic violence, prostitution and sexual exploitation are on the rise throughout Zimbabwe,” she said in a statement following her 11-day mission.
The hunger crisis comes as Zimbabwe is facing its worst economic downturn in a decade. Runaway inflation has put the price of basic goods beyond the reach of the average citizen. The WFP reported that bread is now 20 times more expensive than it was six months ago. Rotational power cuts, meanwhile, have been caused by low water levels at Kariba Dam’s hydroelectric power station.
Difficulties in scaling up
The UN agency also faces challenges in scaling-up its operations in Zimbabwe as the shortage of local currency coupled with rapid inflation requires switching from cash-based assistance to food distributions.
And with other southern African countries also gripped by drought, food stocks must be sourced outside the continent and then shipped to neighbouring South Africa or Mozambique before being transported to landlocked Zimbabwe.
WFP will require nearly 200 000 metric tons of food to assist the 4.1 million Zimbabweans it plans to target. Balzer underlined why financial support from the international community is so desperately needed.
“While WFP now has the staff, partners, trucking and logistics capacity in place for a major surge in Zimbabwe, it is essential that we receive the funding to be able to fully deliver,” he said. “The lives of so many depend on this.”
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Africa
The opposite of poverty is not wealth but the rule of law; asserts Mr. Tinashe Mpasiri
Published
1 year agoon
Mar 16, 2022“In the quest to build an inclusive, caring, prosperous and aspirational Africa, one cannot be blind to the urgency and need to appreciate the centrality of the rule of law as a weapon to fight the triple challenges of poverty, inequality, and unemployment in Africa,” said Mr. Tinashe Mpasiri, Director of Corporate Literacy at the Justice Under Rule of Law (JUROL) Institute based in Johannesburg.
He posed a rhetorical question at the Investment Conference Breakfast Meeting held today in Johannesburg: “Is the opposite of poverty, wealth?” he then answered it by saying: “To me, the opposite of poverty is the rule of law and constitutionalism as foundational values of any aspirational society.”
He also stated: “I am just throwing this question to each and every individual in the room this morning. Do you agree that there is a causal link between economic development and rule of law?
And if that is the case, when we look at individuals on the African continent, who stands out as a shining star in Africa as a beacon of hope on the rule of matters.
If you were asked to name just 5 names of African giants, icons, generals, and shapers of thought and actions in the arena of promoting, protecting, and upholding the rule of law, who would be on your list?
It is critically important in dialogues like this one that we pause and take a step back to reflect on what needs to happen to make Africa, a winning continent and who among us we can bank on to show the light and pathway to the ideal place where we all must aspire to be.
It occurs to me that raising awareness on the importance of provoking, inspiring, and igniting conversations that raise awareness of the causal link between constitutionalism and the rule of law in delivering the promise of growth and development, could help in recalibrating Africa’s development trajectory.
The countries where the rule of law is not the order of the day, automatically default into poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
Africa needs its own generals and Points of Light (POL) who can help give personality and character to the quest for a new order in Africa that speaks to the promise of inclusivity, diversity, and prosperity.
The SA Investment Envoy, former Minister Jeff Radebe, responded by saying:
“Just to respond, I agree that the question of constitutionalism is a sine qua non for Africa’s development and the talk of constitutionalism and the rule of law is part of the heritage of the ANC.
In South Africa, the struggle for freedom and justice was led by the ANC from the 1920s and the central thrust was delivering civil and constitutional rights to the entire population.
If a nation does not chart constitutional principles, doom will inevitably follow. The successive generations in SA have followed constitutional doctrines that culminated in the 1996 Constitution that is based on human rights and premised on the supremacy of the Constitution as the supreme law of the nation.
I am convinced that in order to ensure that justice for all is the promise we all have a duty to play our parts as citizens in shaping and defining the character of Africa we want to see.
I am just replying to Mr. Mpasiri there that I fully agree with what he said that we need to promote the spirit of the rule of law.”
Business
Mrs. South Africa 2020 Finalist and Yalla Yalla Boutique Hotel Ambassador, Eulender Nanni Set To Empower Women and Youths with Financial Skills and Business Literacy
Published
3 years agoon
Nov 8, 2020
Mrs. South Africa 2020 Finalist and Yalla Yalla Boutique Hotel Ambassador, Eulender Nanni is set to use her voice, skills and experience to advocate for change by empowering women and youths with financial skills and business literacy.
Eulender believes that the Mrs. South Africa pageantry is a Women Empowerment initiative which ensures that real women with careers and families are given a chance to make a difference and to follow their passion and dreams.
She expressed gratitude on the fact that the pageantry and hotel ambassadorship has given her exposure, love and support from the Witbank community in Mpumalanga and as such, she looks forward to give back to the community through various empowerment initiatives.
Mrs Nanni, a philanthropist whose charity work was partly inspired by the problems of depression that she personally went through has also vowed to use her experience in Events Planning and creativity in Fashion to raise awareness in Non-Communicable Diseases.
With her strong belief in hard work, team work and passion towards achievement, she believe that her qualities such as sympathy, discipline and willingness to help other people in life are the right tools that she needs in order to fulfill her charity work and the pursuit of her dreams.
As an Ambassador for the Yalla Yalla Boutique Hotel, she encouraged players in the hospitality industry to continue adhering to the Covid-19 regulations and to be creative through offering travel packages and rewards systems that are customer centred.
Iniafrica.com’s Brian Kazungu spoke with the multi-faceted goal getting Eulender as she shared her dreams, passions and roles as a Mrs South Africa Finalist and a hotel ambassador in the interview below.
Iniafrica.com: Ms Eulender Nanni, please welcome to this interview and thank you for your time. Its public knowledge that you are a woman of many talents as shown by a beautiful record of your achievements like being chosen as the Brand Ambassador for the Yalla Yalla Boutique Hotel as well as being a Mrs. South Africa finalist. Briefly tell us about these two roles.
Celebrity: It’s both an honor and a privilege to be Brand Ambassador for the Yalla Yalla Boutique Hotel; it’s just solidified how as a brand I am growing and the hotel sees the value our collaboration will be benefit both myself and Yalla Yalla Boutique Hotel. Being Mrs. South Africa finalist has been exciting regardless of what is currently happen due to the Covid. I took this situation and made it work for me. Growth only happens when one is ready to work hard at it.
Iniafrica.com: Would you tell us more about your choice and role as the Brand Ambassador for the hotel including your personal experiences in this 4 star establishment especially during this journey as a Mrs. South Africa Finalist.
Celebrity: I loveYalla Yalla Boutique Hotel for what it stands for. They always strive to bring the best hospitality experience to their guests through their professional team. Yalla Yalla Boutique Hotel will go out of their way to accommodate guests every time and thus spreading the Yalla Yalla magic!
Iniafrica.com: As the brand ambassador of Yalla Yalla Boutique Hotel, a business which falls under the Tourism & Hospitality sector and as a Mrs. South Africa finalist, what do you think will be the best recovery strategy for businesses in this industry to survive now and beyond Covid-19?
Celebrity: I believe that offering travel packages and rewards systems that make people feel included will be a very good strategy. I also encourage supporting local businesses and advocate for a campaign to help people get to know more about the province and the country.
Iniafrica.com: What is it that people can expect from you during your ambassadorship with Yalla Yalla Boutique Hotel?
Celebrity: Being a multifaceted woman, I will use my experience in Events Planning & my creativity in Fashion to raise awareness in Non-Communicable Diseases. I will also be incorporating the CSI projects which are being supported by the Yalla Yalla Boutique Hotel.
Iniafrica.com: As a Brand Ambassador and a person who has had a personal experience at this award winning hotel, what are your words of advice to anybody who would like to experience the Yalla Yalla magic on their own and yet they are afraid of traveling during this Covid-19 period?
Celebrity: I was at rest when I visited the Yalla Yalla Boutique Hotel since they observed COVID-19 regulations from the hygiene up to the presentation of food and not forgetting their house keeping routines which are just amazing. I would like to remind everyone that this Covid problem will come to an end but what we all we need to do at the moment is to follow the related regulations and guidelines and to keep a positive mindset.
Iniafrica.com: Tell us about your participation in the Mrs. South Africa pageantry including what inspired it and how it feels like to be a participant on such a grand stage?
Celebrity: It’s not just a pageant, it’s about Women Empowerment. It gives us real women with careers and families a chance to make a difference and to follow our passion and dreams. I thank God for it since it’s both an honor and privilege as I get to be a part of history of the virtues of South Africa, the spirit of Ubuntu, and the real relatable women of the country. Mrs. South Africa aims share true South African stories, as well as to empower and showcase true beauty that shines from within and to celebrate every woman in her unique femininity.
Iniafrica.com: If you were to be crowned as Mrs. South Africa, what positive impact would you like to bring to South Africa and to your province?
Celebrity: It takes sympathy, discipline and willingness to help other people in life and I believe that I possess all these qualities. As such, I will use my voice, skills & experience to advocate for change. I will also use my knowledge to empower women and the youth with financial skills and business literacy.
Iniafrica.com: What is it that you can acknowledge or credit as your pillar or support system which has helped you in your journey in this Mrs. South Africa pageantry?
Celebrity: My family and the Mpumalanga province has showed me unconditional support and not forgetting that my husband and daughter are my pillar and number one supporters. More-so, the love that I receive from my siblings and my mother is overwhelming. I am also blessed to have the company that I work for being 100% behind me.
Iniafrica.com: As for you having been Mrs. Mpumalanga Ambassador and a BFM Awards recipient for the Best Styled Diva in 2018 as well as a Sunrise Women Award nominee for Social Entrepreneurship and Game Changer, I believe that there are some success secrets that you can share which can change the lives of so many people in South Africa and across the world. Please tell us the secrets behind all that you have achieved so far!
Celebrity: 1) Work hard; you must have goals not just dreams since goals are attainable and can be broken in to small pieces. 2) Get a team; work with people that want to see you succeed at what you do. 3) Do something that you love with every fiber of your being.
I believe that with these, you will excel.
Iniafrica.com: As an enterprising and focused young lady who have so much in her plate, how do you manage to juggle between all that you do and still keep your goals in check and your body in shape?
Celebrity: I live by the following principles:
⁃ I put God first; as I am sustained by All Mighty
⁃ I take it one day as it comes
⁃ I think positively and keep motivating myself.
⁃ I exercise to keep fit, healthy and looking good.
⁃ I pay special attention to my personal hygiene: for everything always dress up and show up.
⁃ I focus on healthy food which is good for a balanced diet.
Iniafrica.com: I believe that being a model takes a lot of self-confidence and self-discipline in your engagement with various people in their diversity? What are your words of advice to people especially young girls who look down upon themselves especially when they compare themselves with others?
Celebrity: We all have a purpose on earth and as such, you need to find your purpose. Use that dark place or situation to start something positive for yourself and for the community. Personally, I suffered from depression and so, I have used that to start advocating against depression among kids as they too suffer from the same.
Iniafrica.com: Who would you like to acknowledge and credit, be it for their emotional and material input or contribution (support) towards being the person who you have become and what you have achieved?
Celebrity: My Husband Mr. Nanni, Mrs. Mokoena (mom), Mrs. Mpumalanga Pageant, for opportunity given to me as an Ambassador. Blinkwater Meule (Super B) for supporting the CSI projects that we are working on. I must also acknowledge the kids that I am mentoring for trusting me with their lives. I want to also mention Khatijah Khan for believing in my dream and the ABM Foundation for always trusting my craft as a Host/MC.
Iniafrica.com: Who can you say is your inspiration, a person who makes you want to do it better every day? Why is that so?
Celebrity: My Mother is my inspiration. She is selfless, kind, compassionate and she loves her community. She is a mommy of five and a mother to all. She has always been there for young women and children in our community who need help!
Iniafrica.com: What is it that you can look back at and say, because of my Yalla Yalla Ambassadorship and my participation in the Mrs. South Africa pageantry, I have managed to achieve this or this is who I have become?
Celebrity: My Yalla Yalla Ambassadorship and the Mrs. South Africa pageantry has given me exposure, love and support from the Witbank community.
Iniafrica.com: I understand that there many young girls out there who can look at you right now and say one day I would like to be an ambassador for a hotel just like you or to be a Mrs. South Africa in the future. Based on your journey so far in this regard, is this something that you can encourage them to do or not? What advice and guidance can you give them on such a dream?
Celebrity: Yes definitely. It’s not just a pageant, it’s about Women Empowerment and it gives us real women with careers and families a chance to make a difference and follow our passion and dreams.
Iniafrica.com: Besides being a Yalla Yalla Hotel Ambassador and Mrs. South Africa finalist, you are also a career woman and a philanthropist. Please tell us more about the charity/philanthropy work that you are doing and the inspiration behind it?
Celebrity: I get to showcase my work which I am doing for my community in the form of CSI projects. The projects are to raise money towards funding and awareness of what the Xiluxamama NPC is advocating for.
My advocacy and / Cause in this regard are as follows:
1. Eating Disorders amongst Children (as young as 6-ups)
2. Depression amongst kids; Alcoholism amongst children.
3. Autism Spectrum Disorder
4. Raise Mental Health Awareness more so now in COVID-19
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