THE AFRICAN STORY ADVERTISE WITH US DON’T BE LEFT BEHIND ISSUE NUMBER 775 VOLUME 2 28 JUNE- 04 JULY 2021 Magande calls on politicians to practice politics anchored on high level moral principles page 3 Mozambique gets €990,000 grant to boost agricultural value chains AFRICA FACES page 9 Africa Photo Competition launches STEEPEST with Wilderness Safaris COVID-19 Experience SURGE YET page 13 2 Echo Report Echo Newspaper 28 June - 04 July 2021 THE AFRICAN STORY News, Finance, Travel and Sport Telephone: (267) 3933 805/6. E-mail: newsdesk@echo. co.bw Advertising Telephone: (267) 3933 805/6 E-mail: [email protected] Sales & Marketing Manager Ruele Ramoeng [email protected] Editor Bright Kholi [email protected] Head of Design Ame Kolobetso Africa faces steepest COVID-19 [email protected] Distribution & Circulation Mogapi Ketletseng [email protected] surge yet Echo is published by YMH Publishing COVID-19 cases have risen for the impact of these fast-rising with a vaccination certificate. July. However, only four of the YMH Publishing, Unit 3, Kgale Court, Plot 128, five consecutive weeks since the infections, but the window of Measures to prevent COVID-19 eight vaccines listed by WHO for GIFP, Gaborone onset of the third wave opportunity is closing. Everyone transmission are crucial, but emergency use are recognized Postal address: Africa is facing a fast-surging everywhere can do their bit by with many African countries by the European Medicines P O BOX 840, third wave of COVID-19 taking precautions to prevent having limited access to Agency for the passport system. Gaborone, pandemic, with cases spreading transmission.” vaccines, it is important that WHO and the European Botswana Telephone: (267) 3933 805/6. more rapidly and projected WHO is deploying more vaccines be only one of the Medicines Agency use the same E-mail: [email protected] to soon overtake the peak of experts to some of the worst- conditions countries use to open standards in assessing vaccines. www.echo.co.bw the second wave the continent affected countries, including borders and increase freedom Manufacturers may choose witnessed at the start of 2021. Uganda and Zambia as well of movement. not to apply to the European DISCLAIMER: COVID-19 cases have risen as supporting South Africa- “With high vaccination rates Medicines Agency if they do not Echo Newspaper welcomes concise letters from readers. for five consecutive weeks since based regional laboratories to it’s shaping up into a summer intend to market their products Letters must carry the the onset of the third wave on 3 monitor variants of concern. of freedom, family and fun for in countries in the European full name and address of May 2021. As of 20 June—day 48 WHO is also boosting innovative millions of people in richer Union or European Economic the sender. Letters must into the new wave—Africa had technological support to other countries. This is understandable Area. But the safety and efficacy conform to the laws of recorded around 474 000 new laboratories in the region and we all long for the same of all WHO emergency use Botswana and to the Press Council of Botswana’s Code cases—a 21% increase compared without sequencing capacities joys,” said Dr Moeti. “Vaccine listed vaccines has been proven Of Ethics. Letters will also be with the first 48 days of the to better monitor the evolution shortages are already prolonging globally in preventing severe edited for length, libel and second wave. At the current rate of the virus. In the next six the pain of COVID-19 in Africa. COVID-19 illness and death. language. of infections, the ongoing surge months, WHO is aiming for an Let’s not add injury to injustice. In Africa, a WHO survey is set to surpass the previous eight- to ten-fold increase in the Africans must not face more of 45 countries show that one by early July. samples sequenced each month restrictions because they are their borders are open for air The pandemic is resurging in Southern African countries. unable to access vaccines that travel and only Mauritius will in 12 African countries. A Vaccine shortages are already are only available elsewhere. I require proof of vaccination for combination of factors including prolonging the pain of COVID-19 urge all regional and national international travellers from 15 weak observance of public in Africa regulatory agencies to recognize July 2021. Most countries do not health measures, increased The COVID-19 upsurge comes all the vaccines Emergency Use give quarantine exemptions social interaction and movement as the vaccine supply crunch listed by WHO.” for travellers who are fully as well as the spread of variants persists. Eighteen African In the European Union, a vaccinated against COVID-19 are powering the new surge. countries have used over 80% COVID-19 passport system and require a negative COVID-19 Read more Echo In the Democratic Republic of their COVAX vaccine supplies, for vaccination, testing and test. stories on our of the Congo and Uganda that with eight having exhausted recovery will take effect from 1 -- Facebook page by are experiencing COVID-19 their stocks. Twenty-nine resurgence, the Delta variant has countries have administered scanning the QR been detected in most samples over 50% of their supplies. code below with sequenced in the past month. Despite the progress, just your mobile phone Across Africa, the variant—first over 1% of Africa’s population identified in India—has been has been fully vaccinated. reported in 14 countries. Globally, around 2.7 billion “The third wave is picking up doses administered, of which speed, spreading faster, hitting just under 1.5% have been harder. With rapidly rising case administered in the continent. numbers and increasing reports As many high-income of serious illness, the latest surge countries vaccinate a significant threatens to be Africa’s worst proportion of their populations, yet,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, proof of vaccination is leading World Health Organization to fewer movement restrictions. (WHO) Regional Director for Globally,16 countries are Africa. “Africa can still blunt waiving quarantine for those Echo Newspaper 28 June - 04 July 2021 Zambia Elections Report 3 Magande calls on politicians to practice politics anchored on high level moral principles Former Finance Minister Ng’andu Magande has advised the current crop of politicians to take a leaf from Zambia’s founding President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and practice politics anchored on high level moral principles. Speaking today on a special program on Phoenix FM dubbed “Our Zambia”, Dr Magande notes that the current crop of leaders has fallen short of the servanthood leadership which the founding fathers aspired Speaking today on a special program on ‘‘Phoenix FM dubbed “Our Zambia”, Dr Magande notes that the current crop of leaders has fallen short of the servanthood leadership which the founding fathers aspired and practiced. and practiced. Dr Magande says Zambia can only develop and meet the needs of ordinary citizens if leaders are selfless and servants of the people. Further, the former finance minister has underscored the importance of eliminating corruption among those holding public office and those aspiring for public office. (Phoenix news) 4 Echo Report Echo Newspaper 28 June - 04 July 2021 Covid-19: African countries win the race against time with testing laboratories Daily testing capacity of countries, which had very In Burkina Faso, which Integration and Business pandemics and public health African countries rose from few diagnostic devices, initially transported its Delivery Complex (RDVP), shocks.” 13,200 at the beginning of the set up two, ten or more samples to Dakar, the number the number of analytical In total, according to the epidemic to 105,000 laboratories, depending on their of screening laboratories has laboratories in Malawi has Bank’s RDVP, the support of In March 2020, Africa had its geographical and demographic increased from 7 to 18, thanks increased tenfold from 14 to the Bank and other partners back to the wall, helpless in the characteristics. South Africa, to the support of development 164 and 2.5 in Ethiopia to 66; has increased the daily testing face of the magnitude of a virus Egypt, Morocco and Algeria partners, including the African in the Central African Republic, capacity of African countries that appeared in Asia and quickly quickly distinguished Development Bank. Test results five new screening laboratories from 13,200 at the beginning spread to the entire planet. Only themselves on the number are now obtained in 48 hours. have been established. of the epidemic to 105,000; two African countries were of daily tests, thanks to the The Nigerian Centre for Disease The results have been 100,000 health workers have then able to test for the novel growing number of laboratories Control has set up testing centres enormous. South Africa been trained and 314 intensive coronavirus: Senegal, with its made operational. across Africa’s most populous increased the number of daily care units are now available for Pasteur Institute, and South The African Development country to detect individual screenings by seven times from Covid-19 patients, compared to Africa, the most industrialized Bank’s Atsuko Toda said cases. 5,000 to 35,000, Ethiopia (3,000 an average of 50 at the beginning country on the continent. these developments gave the In Kenya, machines initially to 12,400) and Burkina Faso of the disease. But Africa is recovering. continent a major victory intended to test for HIV, (268 to 1,160). “It’s a race against time, won Countries have begun to against the outbreak. “The tuberculosis or avian influenza, Nouridine Kane Dia, hands down.