One such Uber-inspired taxi service, Rwanda’s 250 Taxis which was launched in early 2016 recently announced its entry into the Zimbabwean market with the launch of cab hailing service called 263 Taxi.
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Rwandan cab hailing app launches Zimbabwean version, 263 Taxi – is it a transport solution or an angle for investment?
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Yaya Toure of Manchester City during the Nelson Mandela Football Invitational match between AmaZulu and Manchester City at Moses Mabhida Stadium on July 18, 2013 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images)
FORMER Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini has likened Yaya Toure’s impact on a team to that of superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Toure’s future under new Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola appears bleak following the Spaniard’s decision to exclude the four-time African Player of The Year from his squad to compete in the UEFA Champions League against Barcelona, Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic.
While still at the helm of Inter, Mancini looked to lure the 33-year-old to the San Siro after labelling him as ‘one of the greatest midfielders in the game’.
“Yaya was always one of my goals,” Mancini told Corriere dello Sport. “We had almost sealed his purchase with president Erick Thohir a year ago, then he preferred not to betray Manchester City, where I took him.
“Toure, like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is one of those players who can make the difference, who can change the outcome of a season by themselves like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.” Kickoff.com
Follow us on Twitter on @FingazLive and on Facebook – The Financial Gazette
The Zimbabwean government will dip into the Universal Services Fund to access finances for the yet to be completed digital migration project.
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Government to use telecoms Universal Services Fund to provisionally finance digital migration
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Judges in the UK and US had urged the singer and film director to reach a deal over the custody of their 16-year-old son Rocco.
MADONNA and her ex-husband Guy Ritchie have settled the long-running custody dispute over their 16-year-old son Rocco.
Court spokesman Lucian Chalfen gave no details, but confirmed in New York on Wednesday that the singer and film-maker had reached a settlement.
Madonna, 58, and Ritchie, 47, have battled over their son since December last year, when Rocco ignored a court order to return from his father’s London home to live with his mother in New York.
Madonna’s lawyer declined to comment, but Ritchie’s lawyer Peter Bronstein said Rocco would continue to live with his father in London.
In March, a High Court judge had warned the warring couple that they should sort things out between themselves.
Mr Justice MacDonald had said: “Summer does not last forever. The boy very quickly becomes the man.
“It would be a very great tragedy for Rocco if any more of the precious and fast receding days of his childhood were to be taken up by this dispute.
“Far better for each of his parents to spend that time enjoying, in turn, the company of the mature, articulate and reflective young man who is their son and who is a very great credit to them both.”
US judge Deborah Kaplan had also expressed similar feelings, urging the couple to reach an agreement on their own.
Madonna and Ritchie married in 2000, splitting up in 2008, when it was agreed Rocco would live with his mother.
But the teenager left his mother’s worldwide tour to live with his father. – SkyNews.com
A suspect got on to the unoccupied vehicle while the rapper was in town to play a show with DJ Future The Prince.
A briefcase containing about $3m (£2.25m) worth of jewellery stolen from rapper Drake’s tour bus has been recovered by police.
The bag was snatched from the Grammy-winning rapper’s bus at about 10pm on Tuesday at the Talking Stick Arena in Phoenix.
Sergeant Vince Lewis said the vehicle, which was being used for a show featuring Drake and fellow rapper DJ Future the Prince, was unoccupied at the time.
A stagehand, identified as 21-year-old Travion King, was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of theft.
King was being held at Maricopa County jail, Phoenix police spokesman Sergeant Vince Lewis said.
He was arrested on a separate matter by Arizona State University Police in Tempe, when the bag containing the jewellery was discovered.
Mr Lewis said King was also identified in CCTV footage.
The jewellery did not belong to Drake, Sergeant Lewis added.
A representative for Drake declined to comment.
Drake and Future The Prince have been co-headlining the Summer Sixteen Tour, which started in July. skynews.com
Woods’ last major triumph was the 2008 US Open
FOURTEEN-time major winner Tiger Woods hopes to return to action in October after more than a year out with injury.
The American has twice had back surgery since his last appearance, at the Wyndham Championship in August 2015.
The former world number one, now ranked 711, aims to play in the Safeway Open in California, starting on 13 October.
“My hope is to have my game ready to go,” said the 40-year-old. “Whether I can play depends on my continued progress and recovery.”
Woods suggested he will compete in the Turkish Airlines Open in November and the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December.
Woods, who will be a non-playing vice-captain with the US Ryder Cup team at Hazeltine later this month, also plans to take part in the Tiger Woods Invitational on 10 and 11 October.
“It could be a fun fall,” said Woods. “It was difficult missing tournaments that are important to me, but this time I was smart about my recovery and didn’t rush it.”
Woods had a back operation in March 2014, another in September 2015 and a follow-up procedure to relieve discomfort.
He missed the Masters in April 2016 for only the second time since his debut at Augusta in 1995 and then pulled out of the US Open in June a week before the event because he was not “physically ready”.
World number one Jason Day: “It’s great. I am looking forward to seeing him play again, seeing what the state of his game is, how his body holds up, how the mental side and the golf side hold up as well.
“I don’t expect big things of him even though he is Tiger Woods. He has been out for a while but it is always tough to come back, even though you are the greatest of all time. It would be fun to play against him when he is at his best.”
Eighteen-time major winner Jack Nicklaus tweeted: “It’s great to see you back and in good health. You’ve done so much for the game and it’s better with you playing. Good luck!”
World number three Rory McIlroy: “He brings an aura and an atmosphere that no-one else in golf can bring. I’ve missed that. Hopefully he can get out on the course and stay healthy for a prolonged period of time.” BBC
Zimbabwe recorded $387.9 million in diaspora inflows during the first 6 months of 2016, representing a 15% decline in remittances from the $457.8 million registered in the first half of 2015.
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Remittances to Zimbabwe decline by 15% to $387.9 million as use of informal channels increase
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Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance and Economic development Patrick Chinamasa has presented the 2016 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review Statement. The document gives a run through the state of the economy and plans for government expenditure. It’s not specifically tech, but it’s a good perspective of what has been prioritised by the State even in ways that affect […]
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Here’s a copy of Zimbabwe’s 2016 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review Statement
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Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa.
FINANCE Minister Patrick Chinamasa has proposed to cut 25 000 state jobs, defer the 2016 and 2017 civil service bonuses and close some embassies in a move that could save the cash-strapped government at least US$335 million annually over the next two years.
Zimbabwe is battling an excessive public sector wage bill which gobbles 97 cents of every dollar the government collects. The southern African nation finances its budget entirely through taxes as international money lenders stay away over its failure to service debts. It owes foreign debtors US$7,5 billion; 80 percent of that in arrears.
The government also ran up a US$623,2 million budget deficit in the first six months of 2016, which Chinamasa warned could widen to US$1 billion by the end of the year.
Presenting a mid-term fiscal policy review on Thursday, Chinamasa said the proposal which includes the trimming of diplomatic missions would lower employment costs to US$232 million per month by June 2017 and US$219 million by December 2017.
“This reduction is proposed to be achieved largely through downsizing the civil service from the current level of 298 000, hence, it is important for the Ministry of Public Service and Social Welfare as well as the Service Commissions to initiate the rationalisation process to enable me to reflect this in the 2017 Budget,” Chinamasa said.
“In consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (we will) review benefits for diplomatic staff, including support for educational expenses, rental ceilings and travel support for children of diplomats”.
The proposed rationalisation of the civil service will bring down the size of the work force to 273 000 from the current 298 000, yielding annual savings of US$155 million, while the bonus suspension will save an additional US$180 million. The Source
Email, pnyakazeya@fingaz.co.zw for full document
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa
IT is not in doubt that Zimbabweans, many of whom have taken to the streets in protest against President Robert Mugabe’s management of the economy, have no illusions about their predicament.
But nothing could have prepared them for the bleak set of numbers presented by Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa as he tabled his mid-term fiscal policy review in Parliament on Thursday.
Chinamasa revealed government fears that the economy could contract this year, despite officials publicly sticking to a 2.7 percent growth target until a few months ago.
“When we started the 2015/16 agricultural season, the economic outlook was gloomy…at that stage, revisions of the economic growth rate for 2016 were pointing to the negative,” Chinamasa told parliament.
A less-than-expected decline in agriculture and a rally in mining will, instead of negative growth, see the economy expand by 1,2 percent, Chinamasa said.
In May, Treasury had revised the 2016 GDP forecast to 1,4 percent. Analysts have charged that government forecasts of growth in an economy plagued by a bank note crisis, drought-induced food shortages and insignificant investment, are unrealistic.
However, what’s undeniable is that Zimbabwe’s economy is back in crisis after a brief respite that started in 2009 when the country dollarised and tamed hyperinflation as a power-sharing government that significantly eased political tensions. Now, the benefits of dollarisation seem to have run out and political tensions are rising, triggering a series of street protests and strikes over the past few months.
Government revenues continue to fall; collections amounted to US$1,692 billion in the first half of 2016, against the targeted US$1,876 billion. Chinamasa said he now expects full-year revenue to be US$3,755 billion and not the initial target of US$3,85 billion.
Expenditures, to June 30 2016,overshot the budget by US$308 million, to reach US$2,32 billion.
Of every dollar government collects as revenue, 97 cents goes to pay wages, Chinamasa said, while issuing a chilling warning. Government, which has over the past three months struggled to pay its workers on time, faces the prospect of a full-scale default.
“The outlook, based on the status quo, points to a situation where projected revenues fall short of meeting employment costs,” Chinamasa said, adding that Cabinet had approved plans to reduce the government wage bill by US$118 million by the end of 2016.
Chinamasa proposes to reduce the civil service, which he says stands at 298 000 currently, to 273 000 by the end of 2017.
With virtually every revenue dollar going to pay salaries, government has resorted to borrowing, running up a US$632,2 million budget deficit in the process.
“Failure to contain the budget deficit will worsen the situation to a year-end level of over $1 billion,” Chinamasa told a stunned Parliament.
Government had forecast a US$150 million budget deficit for 2016.
“The budget deficit is being financed by way of borrowing primarily through issuance of Treasury Bills. This is crowding out credit to the private sector, thereby stifling new domestic investment and growth,” Chinamasa added.
Exports amounted to US$1,1 billion in the first half, a 9 percent decline on the corresponding period of 2015. Imports also declined to US$2,5 billion up to June 2016, compared to US$2,9 billion in the same period of last year.
Remittances by non-resident Zimbabweans, a key source of liquidity, were US$387,9 million in the first half of 2016, 15 percent lower than the US$457,8 million registered in the first six months of 2015.”
Chinamasa identified as key sources of Zimbabwe’s economic malaise: low levels of production and the attendant trade gap, insignificant foreign direct investment and lack of access to international finance due to huge arrears.
He made a case for the continuation of Zimbabwe’s efforts to re-engage international capital and Western governments that fell out with the Mugabe government nearly two decades ago over a violent land redistribution drive as well as charges of electoral fraud and human rights abuses.
The re-engagement process has appeared imperiled in recent months, amid a vicious government crackdown on opposition protests. Chinamasa, however, urged the government to stay the course.
“It is therefore critical that we complete the remaining steps on arrears clearance in order to unlock resources from the IFIs and bilateral co-operating partners,” he said. The Source
Email, pnyakazeya@fingaz.co.zw – for full document
I found university computer science teachers from all over the country in training on AI systems development, with the primary goal of being to triggering interest that would cascade down to the respective local universities.
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From smarter education to our own bots -the future of Artificial Intelligence in Zimbabwe
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Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has proposed to suspend the customs duty on Point of Sale (POS) machines as part of measures that will encourage the use of electronic payments.
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Ministry of Finance proposes a suspension of duty on POS machines
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There has been a lot of debate on mobile data bundles lately. The debate has generally been centred around NetOne and its One Fusion and The One data products/promotions. NetOne’s introduction of these products has without a doubt disrupted the mobile data market. Seemingly, NetOne figured out the balance between the right product and pricing […]
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Zimbabwe mobile internet speed tests produce shocking results!
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The Minister of ICT, Supa Mandiwanzira So the latest information that’s been shared on Zimbabwe’s digital migration project (aka digitisation aka digitalisation) is that the government will be “borrowing” money from the Universal Services Fund to settle some immediate obligations for the project. However, this is only supposed to be a temporary arrangement. The digital […]
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Ministry of ICT to oversee disposal of spectrum as government seeks $142 million for digital migration
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Morgan Heritage finally coming to Zimbabwe
THE Royal Family of Reggae is finally coming to Harare this October and it is new comers 2 Kings Entertainment bringing them in.
According to 2 Kings boss Dee Nosh, the Jamaicans are penciled in to perform at the Harare International Conference Centre on October 14.
The tour comes after two false starts.
Dee Nosh said the upcoming gig would afford them a chance to fine tune on the lessons learnt so far.
“We are not dumping Belgravia Sports Club as we will soon return to the venue. “
He said they were now buys finalising arrangements and clearances before the Jamaicans jet in for their gig.
Morgan Heritage was formed in 1994 by reggae artist Denroy Motrgan’s five children.
The children namely Peter, Roy, Una, Mojo and Nakhamyahhave had a number of successes in the past 24 years that include the prestigious Grammy. Showbiz.co.zw
Follow us on Twitter on @FingazLive and on Facebook – The Financial Gazette
Lionel Messi has scored 314 goals in over 350 outings for the Catalans.
BARCELONA president Josep Maria Bartomeu says it is up to Lionel Messi how long he wants to remain at the club.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been with Barca since childhood, scoring 314 goals in over 350 outings for the Catalans.
While Messi is under contract at Camp Nou until June 2018 – with negotiations over a new deal pending – Bartomeu has insisted the 29-year-old will ultimately decide his future.
He told ESPN FC: “[Messi] has all the years he wants [with Barcelona].
“Lionel Messi is the best ever to play football in the history of the world and he plays with us.
“We are very happy, he is very important for the club, he’s very important for the fans, he’s very important for football itself.
“And Lionel Messi in the next coming months of course we are going to talk with him because he knows, he already knows that he has a contract forever. There is not a limit with him.
“The limit will be decided by him and right now he is 29 years old, he is talented, he is ambitious, and he’s in perfect shape to continue for many more years.
“For now, we think we will do it in the next coming months, but Leo Messi will continue in Barcelona, of course.” Kickoff.com
Follow us on Twitter on @FingazLive and on Facebook – The Financial Gazette
Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho at Barcelona. Getty Images
RIVAL managers Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola have dismissed suggestions there will be animosity between them during the Manchester derby.
Manchester United play neighbours Manchester City at Old Trafford on Saturday (12:30 BST) in one of the most eagerly anticipated Manchester derbies for decades.
Both United and City have new ‘super coaches’ in Mourinho and Guardiola respectively, and have started the Premier League season with 100% winning records.
The clubs spent heavily in a record-breaking summer transfer window, withUnited re-signing midfielder Paul Pogba for an £89m world record fee, and City making John Stones the second most expensive defender in history.at £47.5m.
Former Barcelona boss Guardiola suggested any personal rivalry with ex-Real Madrid manager Mourinho was created “from the media”.
“We can’t control that,” added the Spaniard. “I said it many times – I have a lot of respect for Mourinho. I always try to learn from all of my colleagues – it’s the same with him.
“He was my coach, my assistant coach with Sir Bobby Robson. OK, the last period at Barcelona and Real Madrid was not easy for both of us but we met each other two, three weeks ago at the managers’ Premier League meeting.
“Of course I’ll accept a glass of wine after the game if he invites me.”
Portuguese Mourinho added: “I know what the derby means. I’ve played them everywhere, but I always want to be in a position of emotional control. If we want to win we have to be at the top.
“They have a very good manager. They always have very good players and bought more. They are what they are since I returned to England. They are a title contender and you have to respect them.”
Either United or City have been Premier League champions for seven of the past 10 seasons.
Of the 171 previous Manchester derbies, United have won 71, City 49, with 51 drawn.
In 1973-74, the match at Maine Road, City’s old ground, had to be temporarily stopped because City’s Mike Doyle and United’s Lou Macari refused to leave the pitch after being sent off. In the second derby of the season, United legend Denis Law scored for City with a backheel as the Red Devils were relegated from the top flight.
City did not win a game against their rivals for 13 years from September 1989, but then signed off from Maine Road by beating Sir Alex Ferguson’s side 3-1.
More recently, City won 6-1 at Old Trafford in 2011, a game during which Mario Balotelli revealed his ‘Why Always Me?’ T-shirt after scoring.
Marcus Rashford’s winner for United at Etihad Stadium was the only Manchester derby goal last season.
Mourinho, a former PE teacher turned translator, worked his way up the coaching rungs and had won the Champions League with Porto and domestic titles in three different countries by the time the Barcelona manager’s job became available in 2008.
Instead, Barca promoted Pep Guardiola into his first managerial job and Spanish football expert Graham Hunter says Mourinho’s “bitterness at having something exceptional taken away from him” cost him “too much”.
“Mourinho’s dream was to go back to Barcelona as the number one and he planned to unveil Guardiola as his number two,” explains Spanish football writer Pete Jenson. “Not only does he not get the job, but the guy he was having as a number two gets it instead.
“It became Mourinho’s mission after that to prove to Barcelona what they never had, and make them sorry.”
At Inter Milan, Mourinho won the treble in 2009-2010, masterminding a Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu, home of Real Madrid. He moved to Madrid as a “hero”, says journalist Sid Lowe. “Madrid’s idea was, ‘You have stopped them, now come here and stop them and beat them here, for us’.”
Jenson adds: “Guardiola reached the point of exhaustion. He just likes to concentrate on the football while Mourinho brings in other things. It’s almost a war with him from the first game to the last.” BBC Sport
Gennady Golovkin beat Kell Brook with a fifth-round stoppage to retain his WBC and IBF middleweight titles.
KELLBrook’s audacious bid to dethrone middleweight king Gennady Golovkin came to nothing as the Briton was stopped in the fifth round at London’s O2.
Brook, 30, the reigning IBF welterweight champion, jumped two divisions to challenge Golovkin.
He showed tremendous bravery and got plenty of shots through the Kazakh’s defences, but was finally ground down.
And with shots raining down on Brook in the fifth round, his trainer Dominic Ingle threw in the towel.
It was Brook’s first defeat in his 37th professional fight, while the undefeated Golovkin now has 33 knockouts from 36 fights, including 23 in a row.
He was taken to hospital as a precaution after revealing he suffered a broken eye socket in the second round and had blurred vision.
“I was frustrating him. I was starting to settle into it but when you see three, four, five of them it’s difficult,” he said.
Golovkin backed Ingle’s decision, saying: “I think he’s smart, I respect his corner. Seriously, the last round he couldn’t breathe or move.”
Only a select few boxers have successfully jumped straight from welterweight to land a middleweight world title, the last being Emile Griffith in 1966.
As such the 30-year-old Brook, despite his recent struggles to make the 147lb welterweight limit, was a huge underdog against a man who had 375 amateur contests, had never fought lower than 160lb and never been off his feet.
Golovkin came out with evil intentions, snapping Brook’s head back with a couple of ramrod jabs before staggering the challenger with a couple of hurtful left hooks. However, Brook recovered well and was firing back at the end of the opening round.
Golovkin continued to stalk Brook relentlessly in the second but the challenger finished the round with the upper hand, firing left hooks and uppercuts through his rival’s tight guard and working the 18,000 fans into a tremendous lather.
Brook’s right eye began to close in the third but he still managed to get through with some solid combinations, the speed of which seemed to befuddle the champion.
And it was more of the same in the fourth, Golovkin marching Brook down but having to take plenty of shots in order to get off his own.
But the fifth was a more one-sided affair which started badly for Brook and escalated quickly. And with the Englishman taking shot after shot while reeling on the ropes and blood spraying everywhere, Ingle decided he had seen enough.
Canadian referee Marlon Wright initially failed to see Ingle waving the white towel but called a halt to proceedings as soon as he did. And while Brook looked dismayed at the decision, Ingle was completely justified.
Despite the outcome, Brook can be tremendously proud of his display against one of the most avoided boxers in the world and a man who has laid waste to the middleweight division since winning his first world title in 2010.
In victory, Golovkin, cemented his reputation as one of the most destructive middleweights in history, especially in the final round, when his punches bouncing off the challenger’s body sounded like the beating of a bass drum.
Brook still has plenty of options. If he chooses to drop back down to 147lb, the obvious fight would be the IBF’s mandatory challenger Errol Spence Jr.
However, Brook might decide his future lies at 154lb instead. If Liverpool’s Liam Smith successfully defends his WBO light-middleweight title against Mexico’s Saul Alvarez in Texas next Saturday, Smith-Brook would make sense.
If Alvarez wins, he might finally fight Golovkin. Having defended the WBC middleweight belt against Amir Khan in May (Khan also attempted to jump straight from welterweight to middleweight but was knocked out in six rounds), Alvarez vacated the title rather than face Golovkin, to widespread criticism.
Virgin Islander Griffith dethroned Nigeria’s Dick Tiger in his first fight at 160lb. Sugar Ray Leonard emerged from a three-year retirement to upset middleweight great Marvin Hagler in 1987. But Leonard, despite making his name at 147lb, had previously won a world title at light-middleweight.
Ex-world heavyweight champion David Haye on BBC 5 live:
“I was so happy Kell Brook’s corner took a compassionate stance. I was in the same position once and seven fights later, I was world champion.
“Us boxers are the last people to know. You don’t know when you’re in there that you can’t win.”
BBC Sport
Last week we conducted mobile internet speed tests in four different locations across Harare. To say the least, the results were shocking. Like any test, we expected to have a standout performer. To our surprise, each Mobile Network (Econet, NetOne, and Telecel) produced inconsistent results, further raising our suspicion on the true state of mobile internet […]
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The different mobile internet speeds you should be getting
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Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) recently introduced a prepaid toll gate card which provides motorists with a card payment alternative at its toll gates.
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Zimbabwe introduces e-payments for tollgates with new prepaid tolling cards
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