News from Africa

Jane Ndagire blames illegal skin-lightening products, smuggled into Uganda over a dangerous border, for ruining her complexion. She was approaching her 40s, when the women in her circle started hinting at how they could look younger. Someone mentioned a cream called Caro Light saying a close friend had a glow on her face within a week of using it. Ms Ndagire wanted in. "Within three days, I could see a difference. My face had this radiance I had never seen before. I applied it all over my body," she says. Several months in, she started to feel the heat of the sun more, and the skin on her cheeks felt taut. Her supplier recommended mixing the lightening cream with petroleum jelly. "My complexion became too light. But I could not reverse the effects. Then I started getting pimples, which take long to heal. "When I get a small bruise, it takes weeks to dry up. My skin feels flabby to the touch," she adds, staring at her hands which are visibly dar...

"Gender parity at the United Nations is an urgent need – and a personal priority. It is a moral duty and an operational necessity.  The meaningful inclusion of women in decision-making increases effectiveness and productivity, brings new perspectives and solutions to the table, unlocks greater resources and strengthens efforts across all the three pillars of our work. " -  Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres  The United Nations-wide Strategy on Gender Parity sets targets and monitors the following areas: leadership and accountability; senior management; recruitment and retention; creating an enabling environment; and Mission settings. It seeks a fair balance between individual accountability and incentives, recognizes different starting points and challenges, and provides positive tools to empower and encourage staff and managers alike, taking into account that the initial situation and the difficulties e...

THE introduction of the electronic-pharmacy (e-pharmacy) innovation, which is driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) modern technology, is set to enhance health services delivery particularly in South Africa’s poverty stricken townships. This is anticipated to eventually eliminate long hours spent in queues to receive medicines and the struggle by health workers to locate paper files of patients. It is filling the gap created by some health workers who have been accused of arriving late for work or dismissing before time. The impact of the e-pharmacy solution, as low income earners benefit, puts paid to claims AI was a negative phenomenon in that it would lead to a loss of jobs in a country which is struggling with unemployment rate of 28 percent, or about 7,2 million jobless people. Patients suffering chronic ailments, especially the ones living with HIV/AIDS, who usuall go to work early morning and knock-off duty late would find the e-pharmacy functional and ready to serve the...

THE 2018 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for Ghana has been thrown into confusion following conflicting reports whether Ghana had been stripped of the rights to host the competition. Weekend reports quoting Confederation of African Football (CAF) President, Ahmad Ahmad, suggested Ghana had lost the rights owing to inadequate preparations. However, the confederation late Monday, stated “there has been no decision regarding the hosting rights of the Total Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Ghana 2018” scheduled for November 17 to December 1. The subject, CAF stated, would be discussed at the next meeting of the Organising Committee for the competition. The committee will meet in Cairo, Egypt, on September 12. “The report of the last inspection visit is among items on the agenda,” CAF stated. The organisation stated the final decision woul be taken by the CAF Executive Committee at its meeting on September 27-28 in Egypt. Algeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, South...

    ZMTN revolt decoder, a South African-based streaming TV network, has announced plans to launch its services in Uganda with the aim of boosting Uganda’s music and film industry. Streaming means listening to music or watching a video in ‘real time’, instead of downloading a file to your computer and watching it later. With internet videos and webcasts of live events, there is no file to download, just a continuous stream of data. Mr Vukile Manzi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ZMTN Revolt Decoder, said they will launch their revolt decoder in Uganda in August. ZMTN covers 54 African countries and their decoder doesn’t require monthly TV subscription. The ZMTN Revolt Decoder has over 300 free channels. “The channels we own on the ZMTN Revolt Decoder called star films play local movies from all 54 African countries and Uganda movies will also be played in the star films since they will have an oppo...

Members of the SAPS in the Northern Cape and the arrested suspects who are accused of allegedly selling counterfeit goods in Hartswater on July 17 2018 Five men and a woman were arrested on Tuesday for producing counterfeit sanitary towels‚ shoe polish‚ food‚ condiments and other items. National Police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said the police had discovered a factory and raided three properties in Hartswater‚ Northern Cape‚ on Tuesday after receiving a tip-off. “Upon arrival‚ police discovered the goods as well as equipment used to manufacture these goods such as sanitary towels‚ shoe polish‚ food‚ condiments and other counterfeit items.” Five men and a woman were arrested in Hartswater, Northern Cape for allegedly producing counterfeit items on July 17 2018 Image: Supplied/SAPS ...

On April 2, 2018, the Faith Tabernacle Press & Publicity Unit Facebook Page revealed how a formerly dead man named Luiz Fidelis was brought back to life by the founder’s prophetic mantle. Luiz Fidelis was referred to the mortuary by the officials of LUTH-Lagos University Teaching Hospital,after being taken to other three major hospitals in the state. His Area pastor ordered for him to be brought home, after which he called on the God of his father Bishop David Oyedepo, he placed the prophetic mantle round his neck and poured some anointing oil inside his mouth. Immediately, he vomited two cowries and that was how he was restored. Fidelis is now walking gallantly in the lord. Bishop David Oyedepo while placing a seal of perfection on the former patient's life,declared that anything dying or dead around you shall be restored back to life by the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Jesus is Lord! Another preacher ‘raises dead man back to life’ This time, the same miracle h...

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s headline consumer inflation slowed to 4.9 percent year-on-year in August from 5.1 percent in July, data from Statistics South Africa showed on Wednesday. On a month-on-month basis, inflation contracted 0.1 percent in August after rising from 0.8 percent in July. Core inflation, which excludes the prices of food, non-alcoholic beverages, petrol and energy, fell to 4.2 percent year-on-year in August from 4.3 percent in July, while on a month-on-month basis was flat at 0.0 percent from 0.6 percent. https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/financial/2018/09/19/sas-headline-consumer-inflation-slowed-to-4-9-percent-year-on-year-in-august-what-you-need-to-know/

The 4th annual East Africa Investor Conference is underway in Nairobi with focus on key market fundamentals and analysis on the political and economic landscape in Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa. Joining CNBC Africa is Yvonne Mhango, SSA Economist Renaissance Capital and David Dalhuisen Head of Investment Banking, Africa Renaissance Capital. https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2018/09/19/4th-annual-east-africa-investor-conference-underway-in-kenya/

The EU plans to send 10,000 more border guards to tackle unlawful immigration by 2020, the European Commission's president Jean-Claude Juncker said in his annual state of the union address. He called for more solidarity, rather than "ad-hoc solutions" for people on migrant ships. His speech also tackled the region's other burning issues - populism, terrorism and Brexit. This is Mr Juncker's last 12 months in the role. He also proposed a new Africa-Europe alliance, based on co-operation rather than charity, leading to a continent-to-continent free trade agreement. Juncker makes keynote EU speech Who is Jean-Claude Juncker? Juncker's stumbling 'caused by sciatica' 'I don't own a smartphone' - Juncker He recommended that the euro be used more strategically as the biggest currency after the dollar. And he called for strong leadership on Brexit. "The United Kingdom will never be an ordinary third country for us,"...

        Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption The transition towards more sedentary jobs in wealthier countries is likely to be making people less active, experts say Very little progress has been made in reducing levels of inactivity worldwide, experts have warned. A WHO report estimates that more than a quarter of people worldwide - 1.4 billion - are not doing enough physical exercise, a figure that has barely improved since 2001. Inactivity raises the risk of a raft of health problems, such as heart disease, type-2 diabetes and some cancers. High-income countries, including the UK, were among the least active. And women were found to be more sedentary throughout the world, with the exception of two regions of Asia. Twenty million Britons 'physically inactive' Do you know your heart age? 'Major concern' Researchers from...