Day: August 14, 2022

Luanda – MPLA leader João Lourenço announced Sunday in Moçâmedes, south-west Namibe province, that the management of the local Iona National Park was handed over to an international private company linked to the nature conservation.

MPLA leader announced this while addressing a mass rally, as part of the campaign for general elections on August 24.

He said that the measure taken by the Executive aims to make the space profitable and guarantee more investment to the tourist sector.

African Parks, a South African non-governmental organisation focused on nature conservation, will work with the local communities to implement projects, restore wildlife.

It will position the park as a key destination, ensuring long-term ecological, social and economic sustainability to the Iona National Park.

The MPLA candidate for President of the Republic, announced intention to capture a greater volume of investments, which can contribute to the development of the province.

“It is an adjusted measure to attract more tourism and more investment to Namibe”, added João Lourenço, adding that the province has other attractions that should be developed, in order to collect revenue.

The Iona National Park, with diversified fauna and flora, especially the Welwitschia Mirabilis, is the largest in Angola.

Iona park is located about 200 km from Namibe, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cunene and Curoca rivers, occupying an area of 15,150 km².

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Moçâmedes – MPLA leader João Lourenço announced Sunday that Angola will strengthen its capacity to monitor its territorial waters, aimed to put an end to the cases of illegal fishing reported in recent years in the country.

João Lourenço made the pledge at a mass political event held in Moçâmedes, south-west Namibe province, adding that the measure is part of the projects for period 2022/2027.

“Illegal fishing has its days numbered”, said the candidate for the MPLA party, adding that investments are underway for their implementation.

In his speech, he underlined the importance of this investment in the economy of Namibe, which he said is based on the fishing industry.

In his speech, as part of the electoral campaign underway in the country, João Lourenço highlighted the importance of the tourism and extractive industry sectors, particularly in Namibe, in leveraging revenue collection for the State coffers.

Angolans will vote on the 24 August, for the fifth time, to elect the President of the Republic, the Vice-President and the MPs for National Assembly.

Previous elections took place in 1992, 2008, 2012 and 2017, all won by MPLA party.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Maçâmedes – MPLA candidate for President of the Republic João Lourenço Sunday appealed to the business community, cooperatives and citizens to stick directed self-construction to reduce the housing shortage.

The MPLA leader was speaking at a rally in Moçâmedes, Namibe province, as part of the campaign for the general elections on 24 August.

He said that, despite the fact that two satellite cities were built in Namibe, the concern with housing remains. Hence the need to focus on guided self-construction supported by the State, with the offer of infra-structured land.

João Lourenço considers the general commitment to be essential to meet the housing demand that could grow in the next ten years.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

China’s financial hub Shanghai said on Sunday it would reopen all schools including kindergartens, primary and middle schools on Sept. 1 after months of COVID-19 closures.

The city will require all teachers and students to take nucleic acid tests for the coronavirus every day before leaving campus, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission said.

It also called for teachers and students to carry out a 14-day “self health management” within the city ahead of the school reopening, the commission said in a statement.

Shanghai shut all schools in mid-March before the city’s two-month lockdown to combat its worst COVID outbreak in April and May.

It allowed some students at high schools and middle schools to return to classrooms in June while most of the rest continued home study for the remainder of the semester.

The announcement on schools reopening brings great relief to many residents but fears about COVID lockdowns continue to persist, as China vows to stick to its dynamic zero policy which requires all positive cases and their close contacts to undergo quarantine.

On Saturday, videos circulating on Chinese social media showed customers pushing past security guards and running out of an IKEA mall in central Shanghai in panic as an announcement blared over its sound system saying the mall was being locked down due to COVID contact tracing.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the authenticity of the videos, but IKEA customer service said on Sunday the mall was shut due to COVID curbs. IKEA did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.

Shanghai, the most populous in China, reported five new local infections of COVID, all asymptomatic, for Saturday, while 2,467 domestically transmitted cases were reported nationwide.

It has extended its weekly COVID-19 test requirement and extended free testing until the end of September in a bid to keep the virus in check, authorities announced on Saturday.

The southern province of Hainan is now China’s worst hit region, with 494 symptomatic cases and 846 asymptomatic cases reported for Saturday.

Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan urged Hainan to achieve zero cases at the community level as soon as possible when she inspected several places on the island, including the Sanya Phoenix International Airport on Saturday, state media reported.

Source: Voice of America

A measles outbreak has killed 80 children in Zimbabwe since April, the ministry of health said, blaming church sect gatherings for the surge.

In a statement seen by Reuters Sunday, the ministry said the outbreak had now spread nationwide, with a case fatality rate of 6.9%.

Health Secretary Jasper Chimedza said that as of Thursday, 1,036 suspected cases and 125 confirmed cases had been reported since the outbreak, with Manicaland in eastern Zimbabwe accounting for most of the infections.

“The ministry of health and childcare wishes to inform the public that the ongoing outbreak of measles which was first reported on 10th of April has since spread nationwide following church gatherings,” Chimedza said in a statement.

“These gathering which were attended by people from different provinces of the country with unknown vaccination status led to the spread of measles to previously unaffected areas.”

Manicaland, the second-most populous province, had 356 cases and 45 deaths, Chimedza said.

Most reported cases are among children aged between six months and 15 from religious sects who are not vaccinated against measles due to religious beliefs, he added.

Bishop Andby Makuru, leader of Johane Masowe apostolic sect, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In Zimbabwe, some apostolic church sects forbid their followers from taking vaccinations or any medical treatment. The churches attract millions of followers with their promises to heal illnesses and deliver people from poverty.

With a low vaccination rate and in some cases, no record keeping, the government has resolved to start a mass vaccination campaign in areas where the outbreak was recorded.

The measles outbreak is expected to strain an ailing health sector already blighted by lack of medication and intermittent strikes by health workers.

Source: Voice of America