Lazarus Sauti

Lazarus Sauti About half of the world’s population is younger than 28 and classified as ‘youth’. In southern Africa, like many regions of the African continent, more than two-thirds of the population fit into this category. What this simply means is that the future of the world, in general and that of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to be specific, is inextricably linked to the fate of these people, most of whom are the youth of today. Sadly, most young people in the region are faced with different political, economic, social and technological calamities. For instance, almost 60 per cent of the region’s youth is unemployed and most countries do not have industries to absorb new entrants, especially the youth.   “The region is experiencing jobless growth – an unacceptable reality on a region with such an impressive pool of youth, talent and creativity,” noted Professor Mthuli Ncube, chief economist and vice president at the African Development B

Lazarus Sauti “Every birth is a natural birth: each of us is part of nature, not separate from it, and nature is always stunning in its variety. Your birth, then, is part of the natural world, however it unfolds,” Lauralyn Curtis, certified childcare educator, shares with the world. Although birth is a natural process, as noted by Curtis, it is fraught with danger. Dr Edwin Gamba Muguti, Zimbabwean healthcare practitioner, says that a myriad of complications can occur which can result in stillbirth and severe injury and deformity of the baby. Mothers, he said, can suffer various injuries or even die whilst giving life. Dr Muguti added: “Overseeing, monitoring and intervening in this process is the midwife who may be a specialised nurse or a specialist doctor otherwise called Obstetrician. “The availability of competent midwives is, therefore, of paramount importance to countries within and across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as it can reduce 80

Lazarus Sauti The wealth of Africa depends on its ability to conserve and manage its soils. Soil, the most important resource that African states have, is the basis for crop production as about 99 per cent of food is produced from it. It sustains not only the Africa’s agricultural and livestock food production, wood for fuel production, but also filters water so that people and animals can drink it and fish can live in it. People also use soil for construction, meaning that it sustains homes and infrastructure. The Montpellier Panel December 2014 report titled “No Ordinary Matter: Conserving, Restoring and Enhancing Africa’s Soils” says soil is a precious resource. “Soils are the essence of life, sustaining humans, plants and animals for present and future generations. “As the source of the food we eat and home and habitat for much of the planet’s flora and fauna, soil is a precious resource,” noted the report. The Montpellier report added: “Soils’ varying pro

Lazarus Sauti Africans are in the celebratory mood, and the occasion is one – the Africa Day. The day marked on May 25 every year, however, comes at a time when most, if not all, African countries are confronted by many problems which need all patriotic citizens of the continent to unite in finding lasting solutions. Countries within the continent, despite large quantities of natural resources including diamonds, salt, gold, iron, cobalt, uranium, copper, bauxite, silver, petroleum and gas as well as forests and tropical fruits over and above tourist attractions, are ravaged by poverty and disease outbreaks. “Africa, the world’s second-largest continent, is endowed with natural resources and tourist attraction such as Victoria Falls, Table Mountain, Serengeti National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro and Congo Caves among others, but poverty, diseases and terrorist attacks keep haunting her people,” noted political analyst, Chris Mutsvangwa, who is also Zimbabwe’s minister of War Vet

Lazarus Sauti Some countries in the African continent are the worst places to be for an albino. Because African albinos are especially noticeable, it is difficult for them to enjoy the sacrosanct right, the right to life in some parts of Africa. People with albinism – a congenital disorder that robs skin, eyes and hair of their pigment, are attacked and hunted like animals. They are also deprived of basic health services vital for their survival, according to the World Health organisation – a specialised agency of the United Nations that is concerned with international public health. Further, on the continent well known as the cradle of humanity, people with albinism are believed to possess special powers, but not in a good way – myths that Rutendo Mawere, a highly innovative, motivational and interactive Zimbabwean media and human rights activist, describes as wild and terrifying. “Albinism is believed to be contagious so people are afraid to touch people with the dis

Lazarus Sauti Child malnutrition, according to the World Health Organisation, is a critical risk factor in Africa as it is estimated to contribute to more than one third of all child deaths, although it is rarely listed as the direct cause. The WHO adds that lack of access to highly nutritious foods, especially in the present context of rising food prices and acute food shortages, is a common cause of malnutrition. “Poor feeding practices, such as inadequate breastfeeding, offering the wrong foods, and not ensuring that the child gets enough nutritious food, also contribute to malnutrition,” affirmed the WHO. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) agrees, saying in Africa, malnutrition contributes to half of all deaths in children under five. “Nearly half of all deaths in children under five are attributable to malnutrition; this translates into the unnecessary loss of about three million young lives a year,” explained the UNICEF. It added: “Malnutrition also p

Lazarus Sauti Sub-Saharan Africa’s need for power is great as most people in the continent do not have access to electricity. Most citizens, especially rural dwellers, rely heavily on traditional fuel such as wood and cow dung for cooking and lighting.   According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), an international organisation that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, nearly 620 million people in sub-Saharan Africa live without electricity – nearly two-thirds of the region’s population – and nearly 730 million rely on traditional biomass, like wood. Viktor Polikarpov, regional vice president in Sub-Saharan Africa for Russian nuclear firm, Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) points out that: “About 600 million people do not have access to power out of an 800 million population. The total energy capacity of sub-Saharan Africa is about 28 Gigawatts which is the equivalent of just one country like Argentina.” The Agenda 2063, a cont