Zimbabwe Online News

WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has assured the public that there is currently no need for fear over the hippo situation in the Zambezi Region, since measures are being implemented. This comes amid concern sparked by reports on Monday of more than 100 hippos stranded in the muddy waters along the Chobe and Linyanti rivers in the Zambezi Region. MEFT spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda on Tuesday said the measures they are implementing are to ensure that the hippos have enough water to survive until the next flood season. In 2019, the ministry built a borehole and purchased a generator pump for pumping water into the pond. Since then, this pump and generator have continuously provided assistance whenever there is a need for water. Muyunda said the ministry earlier this year engaged the wildlife authority for Botswana to jointly intervene in regard to the same situation of the hippos. The Botswana authority then committed to supply an extra generator and fuel to pump water. Curre ntly there are two generators pumping water into the pond, he said. Muyunda stated that there has been improvement in the water level since the two generators started pumping and added that to further improve on the situation, they installed a solar system to pump water during the day, and only pump with the generators at night. 'With this arrangement, the idea is to provide the hippos with sufficient water to be able to survive until the next flood season and not necessarily to fill up the pond completely,' he said. He added that there has not been inflow of water in the pond this year due to poor rainfall patterns. 'But we are committed to ensuring the survival of the hippos. We will continue to monitor the situation and devise appropriate measures as the situation dictates,' he said. Source: The Namibia Press Agency

A delegation from the China Media Group (CMG) Africa accompanied by some officials of the Chinese Embassy in Ghana Tuesday called on the management of Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra to explore partnership and collaboration opportunities with the wire service. The engagement focused on how the two Organisations can explore opportunities to upscale their news production and reach. The CMG Africa delegation was led by Mr. Li Peichun, Deputy Director-General of CMG Africa. The members were; Mr. Kwame Ren, Media Manager of Chinese Embassy, Madam Li Ye, Senior Editor and Corespondent at CMG Africa, and Mr. Shan Feng, a Photographer. Mr Albert Kofi Owusu, the General Manger of Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the Agency was working towards the production of digital content to serve its radio and television subscribers locally as well as the international market. '…We have always felt the need to explore the leading digital market that has emerged. Last year, we did a pilot project and produced audio-visual conte nts for our tv and radio subscribers and they liked it. So this year, we are going big in that area,' he said. Mr Owusu said the partnership would offer opportunity for trainings and capacity building for editorial staff in audio-visual and digital content creation and distribution. He also talked of a possible collaboration in the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive optimum content creation, productivity and speed. 'We are open to these partnerships and hope to learn from each other in projecting our respective brands and reach. We are ready in this regard to better tell the Ghanaian and African story,' he added. Mr Li Peichun said the leadership of the CMG in China would sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the GNA at the Forum on China Africa Cooperation Summit this year in Beijing to give life to the partnership. He said the partnership would be a 'win-win' engagement between the two Organisations, explaining that it would be generic so that the two parties could decide on areas of inter est. The China Media Group is a national broadcaster of China, comprising China Global Television Network, China Central Television, China National Radio and China Radio International. The Group has eight oversea bureaus and operates in 20 countries, with the African outlet headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. Source: Ghana News Agency

An Accra High Court ordered Daniel Asiedu, aka Sexy dondon, the man being held over the murder of the late legislature, J.B. Dankwah Adu, to appear before it and open his defence. Additionally, the court ordered ailing Asiedu to produce evidence of his ailment by furnishing it with medical records signed by an accredited medical officer. The court said it would 'close the case'should the accused person fail to appear before the court and open his defence. The court was informed by Ms Sophia Armstrong who held brief that the accused person was unwell and as such he could not make it to court. 'My Lady, I am reliably informed that the accused person is sick,' defence counsel said. Ms Armstrong further prayed for abridgement of time so that a motion be heard in respect of a subpoena. According to her, Asiedu would like to subpoena some persons before he opend his defence. The prosecution led by Sefakor Batse, a Principal State Attorney (PSA) said one did not need a motion to subpoena a witness, adding the proper way of subpoenaing a witness could be done administratively by seeing the Registrar of the court to make those arrangements. The court presided over by Justice Mrs Lydia Osei Marfo held that to subpoena on behalf of a party was administrative work done by the Registrar of the court and that there was no need to file a motion for same. According to the court the request made by defence counsel had come in a very 'bad faith', adding the decision to subpoena witnesses before opening one's defence could have been done timeously. 'Interestingly, the so-called motion was filed today, April 22, 2024 at exactly 10:10 am. Justice could not have been done this way. This case has already been before me for the past four years. 'This court would not be part of any conspiracy theory to delay the trial any further. If the lawyers knew that they did not want him to testify, they should have said so. They cannot come at 11th hour to spring this surprise on the court,' the court said. The court, therefore, ordered the accused person to appear before it tomorrow. Aseidu is being held on the charges of robbery and murder of the Legislator in 2016 at his residence at Shiashie Accra. He pleaded not guilty before a seven-member jury and the court has remanded him into lawful custody. An accomplice, Vincent Bossu, has been acquitted after a submission of no case was filed on his behalf. Source: Ghana News Agency

Monastir: The project "Discover Lamta's Heritage," funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) by means of TND 425,000 will be carried out by the City Hall. The project aims to promote the region's archaeological and handicraft heritage, its tangible and intangible heritage and boost the tourist activity and the local economy, Secretary General in charge of Municipal Affairs in Lamta Ramzi Hellat told TAP. The project, whose feasibility study is underway, focuses in particular on designing a tourist circuit encompassing the Lamta museum, the Ribat Aghlabide, the church and the Roman theatre, and the development of a digital platform dedicated to promoting the products made by the craftsmen of Lamta (governorate of Monastir). Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Ghana Shippers Authority has intensified its collaborative work towards achieving a 'zero demurrage' payment by government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) at the ports. The Authority, on Tuesday, April 22, held an inter-governmental forum with various stakeholders in the ports system to embolden, particularly, MDAs involved in port activities to ensure the elimination of demurrage payment. This development comes on the back of recent lock up of some 182 containers of medical shipments from the Global Fund for Ghana at the Tema ports, of which 14 have since been cleared. Demurrage is a charge imposed by shipping lines for delay in clearing a cargo, ranging between US$22 to US$48 per a 20-foot container each day, and US$44 to US$96 per a 40-foot container, after a mandatory seven-day period. In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Kwesi Baffour Sarpong, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Shippers Authority, charged officers in various MDAs to urgently take actions to stop incurring penalties for del ays in clearing of goods. He noted that though there had been a reduction in demurrage payment between 2017 and 2022, it was observed that MDAs paid most of thoses penalties, despite not often being the cause of the delays. 'The goal of the Authority is thus to champion a demurrage free port in the interest of shippers and the national economy in the shortest possible time,' said Mr Sarpong. He stated that a study conducted by the Research Department of the Authority showed a reduction in demurrage by importers in Ghana from US$76 million to US$24 million. He attributed the downward trend to government interventions like the paperless port project, and pre-arrival declaration in the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS. Mr Sarpong also included improvement in some infrastructure at the ports, as well as demurrage sensitisation campaigns championed by the Authority since 2018 as part of the measures that had led to the demurrage reduction. 'The Authority reiterates its appeal to Chief Directors, C EOs, Managing Directors and other relevant officers of MDAs/State-Owned Enterprises, to take urgent action to ensure that their consignments are expeditiously cleared from the ports to mitigate the use of State resources for such avoidable costs,' he said. He said the Authority would soon sign a service level agreement with shipping service providers to engender accountability in line with the implementation of sector regulations. Mrs Monica Josiah, Head, Shippers Services and Trade Facilitation Department, Ghana Shippers Authority, during a presentation, called for a holistic approach, involving MDAs, shippers, haulers, and policymakers, to tackle the challenges. 'Government cargoes are often cited for staying at the port over 100-days, and there are huge financial cost involved,' she said, and encouraged officers in various MDAs to double up efforts in reducing demurrage payments. Mr Paul Kobina Mensah, Logistics and Transportation Sector Head, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, GNCCI, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said it was important for sensitisation to be done periodically among shippers in MDAs. 'Before they import, they have to find all the regulatory measures and documentation around the transaction they want to enter into, and engage a qualified freight forwarder to work on all the processes before the goods arrive. 'If that's done, by the time the goods arrive, every document that are needed will be in place, then you can get the goods out of the port as early as possible,' Mr Mensah said. Source: Ghana News Agency