Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent

THE prosecution has filed an application for the revocation of bail for violating a court order against suspected fraudster James Landon who allegedly sent threatening messages to a complainant in a matter he is accused of fraud involving US$1.5 million.

Landon appeared before magistrate Stanford Mambanje at the Harare Magistrates Courts today.
He is accused of duping Nyasa Air Charter represented by Adam Woodington in a botched aircraft service partnership deal.

The State said the bail should be revoked because he violated his bail conditions. Landon is on $150 000 bail and was ordered not to interfere with witnesses as part of his bail conditions.

Woodington told the court that Landon sent him five messages over the phone, and he also sent text messages to another witness Hastings Jailos Lumbadzi based in Malawi saying he wanted to destroy him.

He also said Landon was quoted in a local independent newspaper commenting on the story which is still before the courts.

However, Landon’s lawyers Munyaradzi Midzi and Innocent Chingarande said their client sent the messages by mistake.

Another witness Sergeant Portia Katsande, who is part of the investigating team, also testified against Landon.

Magistrate Mambanje is expected to make a ruling tomorrow.

Herald Reporter

The growth and spread of new television stations is an effective way to bridge the digital divide, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa has said.

In a speech read on her behalf by Dr Nanette Silukhuni, the Director Strategic Policy Planning Monitoring and Evaluation, Minister Mutsvangwa said the liberalisation of the media space was an effective way to remove the digital divide.

The remarks were made during this year’s “Lift me up,” women’s conference which was held yesterday in Harare this week to mark the International Women’s Day running under the theme, “Digital Innovation and Technology for Equality.”

“The participation of women in the digital space cannot be overemphasised,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.

“Whilst access and usage of digital technologies have the potential to empower women, it would appear the benefits of digital transformation are not equally balanced between societal groups.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said the Government was working on various measures to advance the inclusion of women in the digital space.

“I am happy to say that as the Second Republic we have gone all out to liberalise the media environment thereby widening the digital space,” she said.

“My Ministry is on record for having successfully championed the establishment of community radio stations, private television stations and Campus Radio stations and digital broadcasting has taken centre stage and as the mouthpiece of Government, we stand to reassure you that this is in line with best              practice.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said this year’s theme resonates well with the Government’s strategic thrust to increase the Media space and expand the information discourse.

“For the record, we have licensed six free to air television stations and we have since lobbied for an improved media environment through the enactment of Media laws which shall protect journalists in the course of discharge of their duties,” she said.

Further, the Minister said the Government had thrown its weight to financially support the Zimbabwe Digital Terrestrial Transmission project.

“This project will see more transmission sites being established across the country and of course more players taking up the digital space allowing information dissemination to thrive,” she said.

In her message to all women, the Minister implored women to support one another, build each other and believe in one another.

“Let us not shy away from opportunities and as women, let’s share knowledge and explore ideas that help build a better Zimbabwe for all of us,” she said.

International Women’s Day is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, and violence and abuse against women.

Mukudzei Chingwere recently in Montreux, Switzerland

International health partnership and financing behemoth, the Global Fund, has been hugely impressed by the progress Zimbabwe has made and the trajectory it is taking in the health delivery system and is mobilising US$500 million to reinforce these successes over the next three years.

The fund notes that Zimbabwe spends its own money, such as that raised by the Aids levy for HIV, and that probably the biggest issue now is to ensure that Zimbabwe can retain its trained and experienced health staff in post as it continues the battle to eliminate maleria and TB and have all those infected with HIV knowing their status, being on ARV medication, and having fully supressed virus levels.

Global Fund’s head of grant management Mr Mark Edington gave the news after meeting Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga on the sidelines of the 5th Global Ministerial Summit held in Switzerland recently.

The Global Fund has been operating in Zimbabwe for more than 20 years, during which the organisation has transformed itself into one of Zimbabwe’s single largest partners in the health sector.

The fund has activated operations in over 100 countries under Mr Edington’s wing.

The fund manager said not many countries can match the kind of progress Zimbabwe has made in HIV, TB, and malaria management and the general strengthening of health systems.

“It was an honour to meet the Honourable Vice President we had a very good discussion about the Global Fund partnership in Zimbabwe over almost 20 years now,” said Mr Eddington.

“We discussed the plans for the next allocation to Zimbabwe which is around $500 million for the years 2024 to 2026.

“(We discussed) the need to focus on retention of key health workers in Zimbabwe which is really a critical issue and the brain drain has been affecting Zimbabwe as well as other countries over the last few years.

“Overall, I would say the Vice President is involved, is very knowledgeable in the programmes and we had a good conversation and we look forward to the partnership continuing.”

Mr Edington said the Global Fund had invested in Zimbabwe primarily because the country had delivered concrete results in the fight against the three diseases of HIV, TB and Malaria as well as Covid-19, with the health system strengthening over the years.

The fund would continue supporting the Government of Zimbabwe, seeing that the progress had been good.

“We have been impressed with the progress there are relatively few countries that have gone to the point Zimbabwe has,” he said.

“Having said that, even at 95 95 95 for HIV, no one can rest on their laurels as there is still a risk of people falling off (HIV) treatment. There is still the other five percent.

“But overall, the fight against HIV in Zimbabwe has been a success and the AIDS levy has been a good initiative and has made sure that more money goes into the fight against HIV so we welcome that.

“We stressed the need for the Global Fund and the Government to continue working closely together, to continue the fight against HIV where the country (Zimbabwe) has almost reached the targets of 95 95 95.

“For malaria, almost half of the districts in the country had been covered and the target was now elimination. There was also that the country would reach the global goals by 2030 of eradicating TB.

“We also discussed some of the investments in health systems that the global fund has made in Zimbabwe over the years.”