Lazarus Sauti

Lazarus Sauti Leprosy is maiming Africans and hampering the development of the continent. According to a World Health Organisation fact sheet, leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, an acid-fast, rod-shaped bacillus. The disease mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and also the eyes. Leprosy is not highly infectious. It is transmitted via droplets, from the nose and mouth, during close and frequent contacts with untreated cases. Untreated, the disease can cause progressive and permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. Although the disease is still haunting most Africans, the good news is that it is curable. “Leprosy is curable and treatment provided in the early stages averts disability. Multidrug therapy treatment has been made available by WHO free of charge to all patients worldwide since 1995, and provides a simple yet highly effective cure for all types of lepr...

Lazarus Sauti Young scientists in Africa, widely recognised as being among the most creative and energetic researchers, must receive better financial support from their governments if they are to establish themselves in their fields and if Africa’s higher education capacity is to increase. This was according to some of Africa’s top young scientists at a recent gathering. They added that networking opportunities, quality of teaching and the range of doctorate subjects offered by institutions are other areas that must be improved. The Global Young Academy, the voice of young scientists around the world, in a report “The Global State of Young Scientists: Project report and recommendations”, agrees and blamed lack of resources; and training and funding opportunities as the most cited obstacles facing young scientists in the developing world. Irene Friesenhahn, co-author of the report, says they found that researchers in the developing world lack resources on several fronts,...

Lazarus Sauti A relic simply refers to something old that has survived or a fragment of the past. According to Historian Upinder Singh, a relic deepens our understanding of things such as religion, wars and violence. Accordingly, cases of violence rocking the MDC-T are relics of the ancient. Lest we forget, in 2012, Professor Welshman Ncube of MDC ripped Morgan Tsvangirai’s and his violence tendencies. Accusing MDC-T as a violent party, Prof. Ncube said: “… The problems which led to the split remain alive today. They remain unresolved. In fact the cracks are wider today than they were in 2005. “Our colleagues in the MDC only have a rhetorical commitment to anti-violence. Day in, day out, beginning with the time of the split, they employ violence. He goes on to say: “In the MDC, by 2005 we were running a militia in the party to abuse, to abduct, to beat up people. “There were senior party members who were being abducted and taken to the sixth floor boardroom ...

Lazarus Sauti The Managing Director for Logicode Mrs Helen Timm advices corporates to take advantage of a new and state of the art Document Management System to manage their documents electronically and improve the effectiveness of their businesses. Speaking during the launch of the effective Document Management in Harare recently, Timm urged corporates to embrace the Logicode Document Management Solution as it incorporates OMNIDOCS and OMNI SCAN. “This (OMNIDOCS) is an Enterprise Document Management platform for creating, capturing, delivering and archiving large volumes of documents and contents. It also integrates seamlessly with other enterprise applications,” she said. OMNIDOCS allows for easier handling of Scanned Document Images, Emails and Electronic Data Output from other applications with efficiency. It seamlessly collaborates, communicates and shares knowledge across and beyond the Enterprise. Timm also said, “With capabilities to efficiently handle enterp...

Lazarus Sauti According to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency, the technical arm of the African Union Commission, Africa has a great opportunity to overcome its food and energy challenges, improve health conditions and boost economic growth in the coming decades only if the objectives of the United Nations declaration of 2012 as the Year of Sustainable Energy for All (SE4A) are achieved. NEPAD further states that available statistics show that the continent is the most prone to food shortages which devastate millions of people yearly. With a population of 800 million, which is expected to reach 1.2 billion in 2050, lifting the African population out of poverty by achieving food security and well-being will not be fulfilled without energy security. “Although Sub-Saharan Africa encompasses only 12 percent of the world’s population, 60 percent of Africans do not have access to electricity and clean cooking facilities,” Dr....

Lazarus Sauti   The Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, Ertharin Cousin, says food security and nutrition are vital for Zimbabwe’s development.   Cousin said this after meeting Zimbabwe’s leaders to discuss food insecurity in the country.   “Food security and nutrition are vital for Zimbabwe’s development but some people in the country are having problems meeting food needs,” said Cousin.   Since most people especially in rural areas are having problems meeting food needs, Cousin urged both the government and the international community to ensure the most vulnerable continue to be assisted, and to provide means for communities to build resilience.   “We are extremely grateful to those donor governments who have already given their support but needs are great.   “We know donors have to make tough decisions with so many simultaneous humanitarian emergencies in the world but we also ask that the less visib...

Lazarus Sauti With the advent of mobile technology devices and the growth of social media platforms such as Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, LinkedIn and blogs, many youths have access not only to consume media more easily and quickly but also to make media and share it. This means young people in Africa must utilise social media platforms to boost business operations and transform lives. More so, African youths must take advantage of many opportunities presented by social media platforms and use them as avenues to network with others. A Social Media Marketing Industry Report, 2013 states that opportunities and benefits of social media marketing take in: increased exposure; increased traffic; provided marketplace insight; developed loyal supporters; generated leads; improved search rankings; reduced marketing expenses; improved sales; and grown business partnerships. Because of this, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Francis Nhema, belie...