A NEW film-making category has been included in the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, the seventh annual ceremony for which will be held this weekend.

The new category is the MultiChoice Talent Factory Award, named in honour of the MultiChoice Africa initiative to enhance film-making talent across Africa through a series of training programmes.

Liz Dziva, publicity and public relations manager for MultiChoice Zimbabwe

Liz Dziva, publicity and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe, said the new category was created to reward excellence in storytelling and provide a recognition platform for graduates of the three MultiChoice Talent Factory academies in southern, east and west Africa.

“The MTF initiative is a multi-faceted exercise launched in 2018 that provides valuable platforms for aspiring and existing professionals in the field film and television production,” he said.

“It is already sending a significant number of young new operatives into the industry and the new AMVCAs category further encourages them by giving recognition to excellence in their finished productions.”

Six films have been nominated in the new category: Life of Bim  and DreamChaser (both from west Africa), Ensulo and Promises (both from east Africa), Savannah Skies and The Painting (both from southern Africa).

“These were all produced by students of the MTF class of 2018-19, which produced 20 graduates from each of the three academies at the culmination of the first 12-month programme to develop the next generation of African film and TV creatives,” said Ms Dziva.

The 2020 AMVCAs have 28 categories, seven of which are open to public voting and 21 of which – including the MultiChoice Talent Factory Award – being decided by the AMVCA panel of judges. For this year the panel is headed by award-winning filmmaker and MTF Academy Director for West Africa, Femi Odugbemi, head judge of the awards for the fourth time.

Dziva said: “Like everyone else,  Mr Odiugbemi is excited about the new MTF category in the AMVCAs because it showcases the AMVCA commitment to professional training as a critical factor in creating richer storytelling.”

Since its inception in 2013 the AMVCAs have celebrated African filmmakers, actors and industry specialists in the continued growth of the continent’s film and television industry. Through launching the MultiChoice Talent Factory Award, the AMVCAs become a platform for MTF graduates across west, east and southern Africa to build strong creative reputations and gives them a springboard for career development.

Life of Bim is a film about an aspiring footballer whose dreams of becoming a professional athlete are threatened by family pressure, while Dreamchaser follows a young woman as she navigates the challenges of the music industry. Ensulo is a film about Princess Zuri, whose life dramatically changes after the death of her father, King Mfalme, and Promises is about a boda-boda driver who struggles to raise his children after the death of his wife during childbirth. Savannah Skies is a story about a young woman forced into marriage, while The Painting focuses on a struggling artist who finds a painting in her home that brings a surprising twist to her career and life. Zimbabwean Nobert Mapfoche  was the producer of Savannah Skies, while fellow Zimbabwean Rutendo Mahofa was assistant director.

The seventh AMVCAs are screened live on all DStv Africa Magic channels at 5pm on Saturday March 14. Sponsored by Amstel Malta, they are broadcast from Lagos, Nigeria. Television host IK Osakioduwa returns as host, along with a new co-host, Amina Abdi Rabar, a top Kenyan TV and radio presenter.

Fans can follow the conversation on the AMVCAs on social media using the hashtag #AMVCA7. More information can be found at www.africamagic.tv.

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Northern Ireland’s biggest cinema chain, Omniplex, is introducing a “seat separation” policy in response to coronavirus.

That means that every second seat will be left unoccupied in a checkerboard pattern. Omniplex operates from 15 locations across Northern Ireland.

It is the latest in a series of measures aimed at combating the spread of Covid-19.

Four new cases have been confirmed in NI, bringing the total to 16.

Paul John Anderson, director of Omniplex, said the move was in line with World Health Organisation guidance.

“This means we’ve reduced our overall capacity by 50% and it will give cinemagoers peace of mind,” he said.

Mr Anderson said other measures include self-scanning of tickets, increased cleaning regimes and hand-sanitising stations in every cinema foyer.

Earlier on Tuesday, the first and deputy first ministers, Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill, announced they had cancelled plans to travel to Washington DC for St Patrick’s Day.

They said they took the decision to support ongoing efforts to deal with Covid-19.

“It’s regrettable we’re not able to go to the US but ultimately we’ve a call to make, we’ve a public health crisis on our hands and we need to make sure we’re here to respond,” said Ms O’Neill.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis is flying to Washington DC as planned to take part in a range of St Patrick’s Day events.

Call centre closure

Also on Tuesday, a Belfast call centre with about 1,000 employees closed temporarily after a case of the virus was detected.

Lloyds Banking Group, which owns the Halifax centre, said “a colleague based there was diagnosed with Covid-19”.

The banking group said it would “allow for the appropriate areas of the site to be cleaned”.

“Our priority is the wellbeing of the individual, as well as the colleagues and visitors to the building,” the group added.

Colleagues based in the Belfast Gasworks building have been asked to self-isolate, work from home or work from a contingency site depending on which team or part of the building they work in.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical firm Almac has confirmed that an employee at its Craigavon site has tested positive for coronavirus.

The firm said it is working with the Public Health Agency and has “performed a deep clean of the affected area”.

“The Craigavon campus remains open as does its facilities globally,” a spokesperson said.

Danske Bank has also said that a branch in Armagh has been closed for deep cleaning after an employee reported a suspected case of coronavirus.

Coronavirus: Latest disruption

Day-to-day life is continuing to be affected by the coronavirus with event cancellations, travel disruption and closures of buildings and offices.

Here are some of the latest developments:

• All Ryanair and Aer Lingus flights to and from Italy have been cancelled
• Ticket sales for Northern Ireland’s Euro 2020 playoff away to Bosnia on 26 March have been suspended while it has been announced the Republic of Ireland’s playoff against Slovakia in Bratislava the same night will be played behind closed doors
• St Patrick’s Day parades in Omagh, Enniskillen, Londonderry, Newry and Downpatrick have been cancelled, following the cancellation of events in Belfast and across the Republic of Ireland on Monday
• The Special Olympics Ireland Winter Games, which were due to be held in NI on 20-22 March, have been postponed
• Trinity College Dublin has announced lectures will be delivered online from tomorrow and for the rest of the term

While events like St Patrick’s Day parades and sporting fixtures have been cancelled, Northern Ireland’s chief medical officer has said the evidence around the benefit of cancelling mass gatherings “is just not there”.

Dr Michael McBride said authorities needed to think about “what happens when we do cancel events”, as, in the case of sporting fixtures, people may gather in each other’s homes or bars to watch games.

“In an enclosed environment, in close proximity to individuals, they may be at even greater risk,” he said.

“So we just need to think this through in terms of what the consequences might be of that, not just in terms of what the economic and social costs might be but also in terms of the increased risk.”

In the UK, six people have died from the virus while it has been confirmed that Health Minister Nadine Dorries has become the first MP to test positive for the illness.

The UK Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel to Italy.

For advice and the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak, the Public Health Agency has a dedicated website. – bbc.com

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THE Bank of Russia announced Monday it is to suspend foreign currency purchases on the domestic market for 30 days over the weakening ruble, after a collapse in oil prices.

The move aims to increase the predictability of the monetary authorities and curb the volatility of the financial markets, the central bank said.
The bank added that it is monitoring the financial markets and is ready to take additional measures to maintain financial stability in Russia.
Earlier in the day, Russia’s ruble depreciated against the US dollar to over 73 rubles per dollar on the international market, the weakest since March 2016. The ruble against the euro retreated to nearly 84 rubles per euro, the lowest since February 2016.
Russia’s financial markets remain closed on Monday for the International Women’s Day holiday, but analysts have already expressed fear that Tuesday could be a “blood bath” for the Russian stock market.
The depreciation of the ruble came in the wake of a nosedive in oil prices, after the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major producers failed to agree on further output cuts to stabilise prices at talks in Vienna on Friday.
Russia significantly relies on oil and gas revenues. President Vladimir Putin has said the country wants to reduce dependence on energy industries but needs time to do so. – Xinhua

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RONALDINHO is set to attend a futsal tournament in the Paraguayan prison where he is being held.

The 2002 World Cup winner has been warned he could spend up to six months behind bars after being accused of using a fake passport.

Ronaldinho and his brother Roberto de Assis Moreira have been banged up for allegedly trying to enter the country using false documents.

The 2005 Ballon d’Or winner is being kept at Asuncion prison after a court in Paraguay refused his bail and rejected appeals for house arrest.

But according to Brazilian newspaper Extra, the jail is now set to a host a futsal tournament.

The indoor football tournament will kick off next Monday, but the skilful Brazilian is not expected to dust off his boots. Commissioner Blas Vera told Extra: “We don’t expect Ronaldinho to participate, but we would like him to attend.” It is purely a coincidence that the competition is set to take place just days after Ronaldinho’s arrival. The tournament will see 194 prisoners play against each other after being divided into teams of ten. – bbc.com

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ZIMBABWE Cricket has named two strong squads to face English counties Derbyshire and Durham across three formats starting this weekend.

The Zimbabwe Select side picked to take on Derbyshire in two T20 matches, two 50-over games and two three-day fixtures at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo includes Under-19 stars Wesley Madhevere, Milton Shumba and Tadiwanashe Marumani.

Luke Jongwe, who is in a rich vein of form on the domestic front, has also been named in that squad alongside Zimbabwe Test captain Sean Williams and the experienced duo of Elton Chigumbura and Peter Moor.

Meanwhile, the Chairman’s XI side that will face Durham in two three-day matches scheduled for Harare Sports Club in the capital boasts seven players who featured in Zimbabwe’s most recent Test match against Bangladesh – Kevin Kasuza, Prince Masvaure, Brian Mudzinganyama, Victor Nyauchi, Carl Mumba, Ainsley Ndlovu and Regis Chakabva.

Tendai Chatara and Ryan Burl, both sidelined by injury since January, are now fit and were included in that squad too together with fellow internationals Tarisai Musakanda, Brandon Mavuta and Shingirai Masakadza.

Stuart Matsikenyeri will coach the Zimbabwe Select team, while Douglas Hondo will be in charge of the Chairman’s XI side.

Led by former Zimbabwe captain and coach Dave Houghton who is their head of cricket, Derbyshire arrived in Harare on Monday for their first ever visit to the country.

Durham, who toured Zimbabwe in the 1991/92 season, are expected to land in the capital on Friday.

Squads

Zimbabwe Select: 

Brian Chari, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Wesley Madhevere, Milton Shumba, Sean Williams, Peter Moor, Joylord Gumbie, Elton Chigumbura, Luke Jongwe, Faraz Akram, Neville Madziva, Richard Ngarava, Charlton Tshuma, Tendai Chisoro, Wellington Masakadza, Ernest Masuku, Tadiwanashe Marumani

Chairman’s XI:

Kevin Kasuza, Prince Masvaure, Brian Mudzinganyama, Remembrance Nyathi, Tarisai Musakanda, Ryan Burl, Roy Kaia, Tinashe Nenhunzi, Victor Nyauchi, Tendai Chatara, Carl Mumba, Ainsley Ndlovu, William Mashinge, Brandon Mavuta, Tapiwa Mufudza, Johnathan Campbell, Shingirai Masakadza

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A VISIT to Borrowdale Country Club is all about having fun, especially on a Sunday, when the world, his wife and all their kids want to relax and enjoy a traditional Sunday roast lunch. There are tennis courts, pool tables and an immaculate bowling green, and BCC hosts quiz nights and darts competitions, but last Sunday the sparkling swimming pool was the place to be for hordes of little swimmers and their parents.

Roast pork with all the trimmings.

My guests and I arrived promptly at 1 pm, by which time the dining room was pumping, and every outside table under the palm trees was taken. Luckily I had made a booking, and we found ourselves perched on tall, armless chairs at a table adjacent to the bar – convenient for ordering drinks. Leigh and Pete from High Voltage sent us back to the future as they belted out 70s favourites, so instead of conversing we sang along to ‘sha la la’ and ‘Show me the way to Amarillo’. After trying out a few chair dancing moves, we bought lunch tickets from the bar tender and approached the buffet.

Roast pork with ‘all the trimmings’ (ZWL200) was the dish of the day. A chef carved slices of perfectly cooked roast pork as we stood in line, and a server dished out rice, creamed spinach, butternut squash, roast potatoes, and a piece of pork crackling. Extras included copious amounts of fried onions, apple sauce and a tureen of dark, rich gravy. Although the roast potatoes lacked crunch, it was a great plate of food, and we ate in silence, as High Voltage continued to pump up the volume.

After lunch a helpful waiter set up a table for us on the green lawns overlooking the bowling green. We ordered apple crumble and ice cream for an extra ZWL35, and moved outside. Among a sea of largely unknown diners, I recognised well known artist and sculptor @WStutchbury. Exhibiting regularly in Zimbabwe and abroad, Wayne is best known for his extraordinary sculptures made from scrap metal, wood offcuts and pieces of wooden dhows retrieved from beaches along the coastline of Mozambique.

Although much of the woodland surrounding Borrowdale Country Club has been built up, the view across the bowling green towards the rolling hills of Helensvale and Greystone Park is stupendous. There are glimpses between the trees of large mansions built on the slopes, and the tall relics of an unfinished project are visible against the skyline, but the surroundings remain a green and pleasant land.

Sunday lunch under the palms at Borrowdale Country Club.

For anyone living in the hood, such as retirees or members of the landed gentry with time on their hands, Borrowdale Country Club is a great resource for entertainment and relaxation. On Wednesday nights, show off your skills in pool, snooker and darts, and test your academic prowess on Quiz Nite, every Friday evening. Play tennis or bowls on Saturday, so get your gear together in time for an early start.

Valentine’s Day this year was celebrated with a dinner dance, with live music from Mande and Alex Fairlie. The club can also be reserved for private functions, so if you have a milestone birthday or anniversary to celebrate, give the manager a ring and make a booking.

There’s something for every age group at Borrowdale Country Club. Whether you’re a senior citizen looking for congenial company and a well-cooked meal, middle-aged with children dotted around the diaspora, in your 30s with a young family, a toddler or a teenager,
BCC is a place to socialise and enjoy yourself.   A Matter of Taste with Charlotte Malakoff

Comments to: cmalakoff@gmail.com

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THE Formula 1 season will start in Australia this weekend amid a climate of uncertainty, anxiety and distrust.

Lewis Hamilton will start the season as the hot favourite to win the drivers’ championship.

There is anxiety over the global coronavirus outbreak, which has led to the postponement of the fourth race of the season, in China, and forced the second – in Bahrain – to be held behind closed doors.

There is uncertainty over just how significantly the virus could affect the season.

And there is distrust rooted in a major row between seven of the teams and the governing body over legality questions surrounding last year’s Ferrari engine.

This is all happening with F1 on the brink of two significant landmarks.

The first is individual: Lewis Hamilton is shooting for a seventh drivers’ world championship title, which would draw him level with Michael Schumacher.

The second is collective: As the sport celebrates 70 years of the world championship, this season will see the fastest cars in its history, before a new-look F1 in 2021 is expected to add seconds to lap times.

While the competition is being fought out on track at record speeds, the action behind the scenes will be just as frenetic.

There is the potential for a major shake-up in the driver market, as most of the big names – including Hamilton – have their contracts coming up for renewal. And there are some significant aspects of the plans for 2021 still to be finalised.

The coronavirus threat

Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne is going ahead, or so it appears at the time of writing. In F1, it’s normally a time of celebration and excitement as teams come out of their winter hiding and find out exactly where they stand heading into the long season.

This year, that anticipation is still there, but it is tempered by concern, as many in the sport ponder the implications of Covid-19.

Should F1 really be allowing 4,000 or so officials, team members and media to fly halfway around the world to hold a race in front of nearly 100,000 spectators at this time of global concern?

Governing body the FIA might have set up a “crisis cell” that meets every two days to analyse the coronavirus situation and their most appropriate response to it. But not everyone will agree that their current approach – which basically amounts to, ‘let’s keep an eye on things, but plough on pretty much as usual and hope for the best’ – is appropriate.

How many more races will be affected as the world battles to get the coronavirus under control?

Even Bahrain, in holding its grand prix behind closed doors, is giving out mixed messages, by waiving its own restrictions on travellers from outbreak-hit parts of the world – including Italy – to let in F1 personnel who are from or have travelled through those countries.

It is a situation that develops by the day, and in response to individual governments’ handling of the virus.

The Ferrari engine row

This opening race of the season looks like being a bad-tempered one.

Seven teams have come together to demand answers from the FIA as to why it failed to take action against Ferrari despite admitting suspicions that their engine was not always run legally in 2019.

Those teams also want to know why the settlement reached was confidential, with the FIA having concluded pursuing the matter was pointless because it would have been impossible to prove wrongdoing.

So far, there has been a back-and-forth exchange of media releases, but the seven teams are iron-determined to get answers.

Hamilton and the quest for seven

Hamilton starts the season as the hot favourite to win the drivers’ championship, based on the historic form of his partnership with Mercedes, now established as the most successful team in the history of the sport.

Their new car, the W11, has run impressively in testing, and features eye-opening technical innovations. All of Hamilton’s rivals are aware of the imposing nature of their task in trying to unseat him.

But while the outside world will focus on whether Hamilton can match Schumacher, the man himself says he has little time for records and statistics.

“It’s not something I think about,” Hamilton said at the final pre-season test. “I always say that numbers are not really a massive thing for me. I plan to be here a little bit longer so hopefully I’ll get there. We shall see.” Nor is he concerned about the fact that he has a target on his back for the ambitious young stars of Red Bull and Ferrari – Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc – to aim at.

The pretenders

Verstappen set out his stall for 2020 some weeks ago, when he declared of Hamilton: “He is definitely one of the best out there but he is not God. Maybe God is with him, but he is not God.”

The provocative remarks did not go unnoticed by Hamilton, who responded: “I find it funny seeing that. I have just always known to do my talking on the track. I tend to see that as a sign of weakness.”

Verstappen heads into the season as the man many will see as the most likely to unseat Hamilton, if anyone can. The prospect of a battle between the two is mouth-watering.

When he builds up a head of steam, Verstappen is like a force of nature, and his determination, confidence, speed and hard-headedness would seem to stand him in good stead.

But his ability to challenge depends on whether his team, and engine partner Honda, have upped their game to a point where they can threaten Mercedes every weekend, rather than every now and again.

The driver market

Vettel’s future will be at the heart of what is known in F1 as the ‘silly season’ this summer, with only Verstappen and Leclerc sure of what they will be doing in 2021 after signing long-term deals with their teams over the winter.

All the other top drivers – Hamilton, Bottas, Vettel and Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo – are out of contract, along with a number of other drivers up and down the pit lane.

Hamilton is expected to stay where he is, assuming Mercedes stay in F1 – and team boss Toto Wolff has described reports that the board are considering their future as “complete nonsense”.

If Hamilton stays, do Mercedes stick with Bottas as his team-mate, or look elsewhere?

The behind-the-scenes stuff

The 2021 technical regulations were finally published last October after many months of wrangling, but several issues still need to be resolved before the start of F1’s new era next year.

Firstly, the new revenue split and governance systems have yet to be finalised, even if it seems a resolution is close.

Any doubts over the presence of Red Bull and Ferrari in 2021 seem to have been alleviated by the length of the contracts they have signed with Verstappen and Leclerc.

But there are questions over the future of Renault, whose board are undertaking a company-wide review of activities; Honda, who last autumn committed to Red Bull only until 2021; and the US-based Haas team. Even Mercedes’ presence cannot be taken for granted, in the context of the cuts being made by the Daimler group.

Beyond that, perhaps the single most important aspect of finalising 2021 is the tyres. F1’s new rules fundamentally change how F1 cars work, and have been formulated with the intention of allowing them to race closer together.

The tyres need their own redesign to facilitate this. In particular, they need to be much less sensitive to heat, a characteristic which forces drivers to drive seconds off the pace in races to make the tyres last required stint lengths, and which prevents close racing over extended periods. It’s fair to say there is scepticism among drivers and teams as to Pirelli’s ability to deliver. – bbc.com

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A fortnight ago, FBC took the curious decision of adding annual fees to their prepaid cards, with individuals and businesses expected to pay $15 and $20 respectively.

It was a curious decision for a number of reasons; firstly FBC risked angering customers who would then go to other banks who offer similar cards without any annual payment. Lastly, whilst I don’t know for a fact how many FBC clients are using the prepaid card but I doubt the number would bring great returns, especially after a number of people would ditch the card because of the fees.

Anyway, FBC decided to hit a u-turn before their decision came back to bite them and sent messages to prepaid cardholders informing them that their cries were heard and the annual fees were being scrapped about three weeks after being put into effect:

Dear valued customer, your feedback is important to us, you spoke, we listened. We are no longer going to charge annual fees on MasterCard cards.

FBC message to prepaid card holders

I think this is a great move and for all the talk of banks putting customers at the centre of their solutions, this is one of the rare occasions where we see the banks walking the talk.

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EcoSure subscribers have been receiving messages notifying them that the benefits for each and every EcoSure package will be going up in May, as the insurance company tries to maintain the value of their service in an inflationary economy.

The message sent to subscribers reads:

Dear Customer, note that effective 1 May 2020, new EcoSure Cover Benefits will be as follows: Lite $10,000, Basic $20,000, Standard $40,000, Premium $50,000.

EcoSure message

The inflationary nature of the Zimbabwean economy will mean this will be a trend as the payouts got raised in December to $5 000, $10 000, $20 000 and $30 000 respectively.

Insurance is a tricky game in an inflationary environment. Why? Well, in an economy with high inflation, the value of money makes it difficult to justify current expenditures on future fixed payments that are rapidly decreasing in value. In addition, the guaranteed rate of return offered under older policies will be inadequate during sustained inflationary environments

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The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange recently announced they are joining forces with the Harare Receivables Exchange “for the development of a receivables financing platform”.

The platform will be targeting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) because the belief within the two organisations developing this platform is that the above group of businesses “continue to face challenges of limited access to finance” and the receivables financing platform will put an end to this.

The success stories are on the basis that receivables financing through a formalised marketplace reduces the risk for potential financiers.

How will this work?

Receivables financing is an interesting concept. In the case of the platform being built by the ZSE and HRE there will be 3 parties involved; suppliers, financiers and debtors.

An example I got from a ZSE spokesperson explained the process as follows; Let’s say an SME supplies Pick N Pay with a fruit juice and they are told they’ll get their money in 40 days. If the SME is on the receivables financing platform they can take this invoice to ZSE and a financier (after agreeing with Pick N Pay the debtor) can pay the SME in three days instead of the initially proposed waiting period.

The SME gets their money and then the financier can later get the money from Pick N Pay.

Considering that we are in a hyper-inflationary economy one of the questions that popped up to me is how then do the financiers protect the value of the money they’re owed and the ZSE spokesperson I spoke to suggested that they negotiate terms with debtors and this includes an interest rate.

The spokesperson also explained that the financiers on the platform can be banks, brokers and other liquid businesses.

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The Australian Grand Prix has been called off, two senior Formula 1 sources have told BBC Sport.

There has been no official confirmation from F1 or governing body the FIA but the news follows a McLaren team member testing positive for coronavirus.

The situation rapidly developed throughout Thursday night in Melbourne and an announcement that the race will not take place is now expected.

The decision throws into doubt the rest of the Formula 1 season.

F1 and the FIA have come in for criticism for their handling of the situation.

World champion Lewis Hamilton said on Thursday at the official F1 news conference he was “very, very surprised” the sport was pressing on with plans to continue with the race while the outbreak of the virus worsened and other sports suspended or cancelled events.

An initial meeting of team bosses with F1 and FIA officials on Thursday night, after a tense day in the paddock at Albert Park, broke up with an agreement to carry on with Friday practice as normal and review the situation later that day.

But the plans changed later in the evening as several insiders – including leading drivers – expressed their concerns about the idea of racing amid the risk of further cases of coronavirus in the tight-knit F1 paddock.

The decision was reviewed at later meetings and eventually, at around 0200 Friday local time (1500 GMT on Thursday), the decision was made to call the race off.

In total, eight F1 workers have been assessed and tested for Covid-19.

Seven were cleared on Thursday but an eighth, from McLaren, tested positive.

Australian Grand Prix organisers said in a statement a ninth person had been assessed and tested, with the result pending. This person was “not associated with any F1 team, the FIA or associated suppliers”, the statement said.

There is no sense yet of the knock-on effects of the Australian race being called off, but the Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled to be the second meeting of the season on 22 March, is now in serious doubt.

A decision is also expected imminently on the Vietnam Grand Prix, scheduled for 5 April, after the government in Hanoi banned travel into the country for anyone who has been in Italy – among other locations – in the previous 14 days.

F1 chief executive Chase Carey was in Hanoi on Thursday trying to find a way around the restrictions.

The Chinese Grand Prix, scheduled to be the fourth race, was postponed in February after government officials said it could not go ahead.

There are now serious questions as to when, or even if, the F1 season will start at all.

The next race after Vietnam is scheduled to be the Dutch Grand Prix on 5 May, the start of a run of three races in four weekends that also includes the Spanish and Monaco events.

But with the coronavirus situation developing by the day, and countries imposing tighter restrictions on travel, it is impossible to know at this stage whether any of those races can go ahead.

Analysis

The decision to cancel the race in Australia raises huge questions about the future of the sport this year.

F1 authorities faced criticism for their decision to press ahead with the season-opening race, and it is true the teams feel they lacked direction and leadership from the powers that be.

But the FIA and F1 were responding to advice from local authorities, with Australian officials saying earlier in the week they saw no reason for their race not to go ahead.

The fact it has now been called off is an illustration of the speed with which the coronavirus pandemic has developed across the globe.

But it also shines a spotlight on what some will see as the F1 authorities having rather too firm a focus on ‘keeping the show on the road’ – as well as the dollars rolling in – and not enough on the realities of what really matters.

Now, not only does the sport not know when – or even if – the season can start, but the authorities, teams and race promoters have to face the question of what happens to all the fees that have been paid for races that might now never happen.

The answer to that may well be different for separate events, and it will depend on who has made this decision, who pays for the race in each specific country, and the legal and contractual complexities of each deal.

In addition, there are the knock-on effects for the teams themselves, as a large proportion of their income comes from those race fees.

Some teams need that income more than others – and some need it very much indeed.

F1 is entering uncharted waters, and to describe them as choppy could be a massive understatement.

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The tariffs you pay for calling, texting and accessing the internet are going up again. POTRAZ has approved a “57% upward review of tariffs” using the Telecommunications Pricing Index.

Before taxes consumers will now pay the following:

• On-net calls per-minute will rise from $0.75 to $1.17
• SMSs will rise from $0.19 to $0.30
• mobile data per megabyte from $0.15 to $0.23

After taxes, consumers will end up paying more than the above-stated prices as currently NetOne, Econet and Telecel customers are paying 83c/min for calls, 25c per SMS and 25c/MB.

Whilst POTRAZ has approved these tariffs none of the mobile operators has put them into effect just as yet, though the expectation is that those announcements from MNOs will probably follow soon.

POTRAZ argues that before this most recent tariff review, these tariffs were last adjusted in October and local currency has since lost value:

Tariff thresholds for telecommunication services were last adjusted in October last year using the August 2019 Telecommunication Price Index (TPI) figures.

The current tariff thresholds have been rendered unsustainable as the operating environment continues to deteriorate due to constantly rising operating costs.

Accordingly, the authority has found it necessary to review tariff thresholds for telecommunication services by up to 56,64 percent based on the TPI, for the period October to December 2019 that was computed in consultation with operators.

Dr Gift Machengte – POTRAZ Director General

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NetOne’s suspended CEO recently won a case against the NetOne board with the court ruling that the CEO’s suspension was null since it resulted from an improperly constituted meeting.

The full list of allegations against the NetOne boss has now come to light with Independent reporting on the numerous alleged abuses of office by Muchenje.

There charge sheet against the CEO cited the following issues as the reason behind his suspension:

• Muchenje’s domestic workers and security guards were on the NetOne payroll which wasn’t agreed in his contract;
• The executive leased himself a house in Borrowdale for a fraction of its market value;
• Awarded himself “a disproportionate bonus” of ZW$510 000 in December 2019;
• In November of the same year, Muchenje is said to have awarded himself and his wife ZW$895 000 as a holiday allowance – Muchenje is reportedly eligible for two holidays but his wife isn’t covered;
• Muchenje and Chief Finance Officer at NetOne Tinashe Severa (who was also suspended alongside Muchenje) are accused of prejudicing the MNO of US$2.24m after unlawfully signing an interconnect contract with Bankai International Pvt Ltd – “In terms of this agreement Bankai purchased nine million minutes for US$1 million contrary to the company’s ruling rate of 36 cents per minute. Further, the agreement contravened schedule five of SI (Statutory Instrument) 163 of 2008 (Postal and Telecommunications (international Termination rates) Amendment Regulations 2008. As a result, the company was prejudiced US$2 240 000”;
• On two occasions in June & August, Muchenje is said to have approved purchase of fuel worth ZW$7.6m and ZW$1.2m without seeking board approval. The purchase was also made from a company that wasn’t ZERA approved and ended up buying the fuel at a much higher price than the pump price at the time;
• Muchenje also allegedly leased company property for ZW$1 000/month when its actual value was US$2 500-$3 500/month depending on whether or not the property was furnished;
• Muchenje allegedly bought household goods and appliances worth ZW$623 587 without board approval;
• Muchenje is also said to have allowed Severa to buy 12 pre-owned vehicles which were over the 5-year limit in the company’s policy;
• The suspended CEO is also accused of having bought a Nissan Navara and Mazda 3 and hiring a Toyota Fortuner despite agreeing to provide his own vehicle for the fulfilment of his duties;
• Lastly, Muchenje is accused of refusing to hand over documents to auditors during the audit period.

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After POTRAZ increased the ceiling for Mobile Network Operator rates, EcoNet has announced their new tariffs which will be effective from tomorrow.

Voice Tariffs

Econet will be charging the same rate for peak and off peak calls. There is no distinction also between pre-paid (Buddie) tariffs and post-paid tariffs. The MNO is charging $1.5019 per minute for Econet to Econet calls. They bill this per second at a rate of $0.0250 per second. These fees are VAT inclusive.

Interestingly, Econet is charging less when you call other networks. Their tariff for that is now $1.4418 per minute. This is again billed per second at a rate of $0.0240 per second. The reason why this is cheaper is that when you call a none Econet number (say NetOne), Econet will be entitled to an interconnection fee from the network you would have called. They will still make the same per minute as if you called another Econet number.

Data

Out of bundle access to the internet will start being charged at $0.3004 per MB of data. There is no difference again between peak and off peak access to the internet.

SMS and USSD

Local SMS is now $0.3805 per message whilst international SMS will be $4.2712 per message.

When you use your bank’s mobile banking facility via USSD for example, your bank will be charged $0.3805 per session.

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BancABC Zimbabwe today announced the launch of their Business Banking offering focused on supporting the SME sector countrywide in their entrepreneurial journey.

 As part of the iGnite service offering, the bank launched its SME incubation centre, the Ignition Hub. The Hub will provide a working space for SMEs to network, receive mentorship and training for various business-related courses.

The Hub is located on the 7^th floor of the bank’s Heritage House branch in Samora Machel. It will be open from 09:00 – 17:00 from Monday to Friday & provides a co-working space for any SME with a registered business. The Hub will also host free weekly business mentorship sessions and seminars for the bank’s account holders.

SMEs contribute half of the world’s economic output & employ two-thirds of the global workforce. As a bank we see this sector as a critical contributor to the growth of the Zimbabwe economy. The launch of this service signifies our commitment to partner small business owners across the country become a part of their growth story.

We invite all SMEs to visit the Hub & find out how The #ATeam can ignite your business to the next level through a customised solution designed to accelerate the growth of our SME partners.

Lance Mambondiani – BancABC Managing Director

iGnite SME Account

In addition to the Ignition Hub, the iGnite SME account offers a number of services to support small businesses through various growth stages. The service will allow SMEs to access unsecured loans to address the main challenge for small businesses unable to access bank loans due to lack of collateral. The BancABC unsecured SME loans will be offered through a partnership with the Export Credit Guarantee Company (ECGC) which is underwriting the service. Getting access to finance is one of many key requirements for the majority of SMEs in Zimbabwe to scale their businesses.

Marketplace

The iGnite service also offers small businesses with a marketplace to sell their commodities and connect with suppliers and contractors. The Marketplace will give SMEs a platform to cross-sell to each other and expand their market reach through various platforms online and at the Hub. As part of this invitation, the bank announced an exciting competition via the Ignite Marketplace to look for an SME to run the coffee shop at the Ignition Hub. The successful business owner will be given free rental space to run their business & sell to customers who come to the hub.

Pitching events

The Bank’s Head of Retail Channels and Business Banking, Mrs Hope Marere said the SME iGnite service will offer customers an opportunity to pitch for funding to various investors and partners to expand their business through investor Pitch events that will be organised at the Hub every month.

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Mthuli Ncube is said to have gazetted a new financial instrument yesterday that will enable mobile money users to receive interest on the money they keep in their mobile money wallets (i.e EcoCash, OneMoney, Telecash and MyCash).

At inception, mobile money users will get interest rates of about 0.02%/day;

• If you keep a $100 dollars in your mobile money wallet for 30 days you should get 60c
• If you keep it for over 6 months you should get $90 because of Banking (Savings Interest Rates) Regulations which stipulate that if you keep your money in the bank for 6 months and above you’ll get 90% back, according to The Herald.

It seems like the incentive here is for you and me to keep larger amounts of money in our mobile money wallets in the promise of a reward. Let’s raise that $100 to $500 and see what the interest rates look like;

• If you keep a $500 dollars in your mobile money wallet for 30 days you should get $3
• If you keep it for over 6 months you should get $450

The only problem I see with this is that people don’t use mobile money wallets like they do banks. It might take time to change those patterns but once a user puts their money in their mobile money wallet they are about to spend it and not keep it dormant. At least that’s true for me.

Secondly, at present, the incentive to keep the money in my wallet because I hope to get 0.02% interest per day doesn’t seem too attractive to me. The problem with Zimbabwe’s economy right now is inflation. I think it’s fair to say inflation is rising at a higher rate than that 0.02%/day I’m promised – or at least that’s what it feels like as a consumer.

Lastly, because disposable incomes are so depressed it’s hard to see someone opting to leave money in their wallet instead of buying goods and services they need right now.

The best-case scenario could be that the Finance Ministry could be making this decision right now with a long-term view because in the short term it’s hard to see any benefits mobile money users gain by keeping their money in their wallets.

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TelOne has announced the new pricing for their broadband offerings which have been effected from today (14 March).

Package Name	Data Cap	Tariff (RTGS$)
HOME BROADBAND PACKAGES
Home Basic	10GB	$262
Home Extra	15GB	$280
Home Basic Night	20GB	$331
Home Plus	30GB	$435
Home Plus Night	60GB	$559
Home Premier	60GB	$731
Home Premier Night	120GB	$942
Home Boost	200GB	$1050
Infinity Pro	500GB	$1548
Intense	Unlimited	$2087
SME BROADBAND PACKAGES
Infinity Supreme	Unlimited	$2609
Intense Extra	Unlimited	$3478
BLAZE LTE PACKAGES
Blaze Lite	8GB	$242
Blaze Extra	15GB	$366
Blaze Boost	20GB	$456
Blaze Ultra	40GB	$736
Blaze Trailblazer	100GB	$1107
Blaze Supernova	Unlimited	$2181
PUBLIC WIFI
1GB		$18
2.5GB		$36
6GB		$90

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Elite football in Britain has been suspended until at least 3 April as a result of the spread of coronavirus.

All games in England’s Premier League, EFL, Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship, plus in Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland, are postponed.

The Premier League said play will start on 4 April subject to “conditions at the time”.

But BBC sports editor Dan Roan says resuming on the date is privately deemed “almost impossible”.

FA chairman Greg Clarke is known to have expressed his fear at Friday’s emergency meeting that the season may have to be abandoned.

England’s international friendly matches against Italy on 27 March and Denmark four days later are off.

The EFL, which hopes to resume play a day earlier than the Premier League on 3 April, said clubs were also advised to suspend “non-essential activities” such as “player appearances, training ground visits and fan meetings”.

The Euro 2020 play-offs have also moved closer to being postponed after Fifa recommended that all impending internationals should be called off.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic are all scheduled to play their semi-finals on 26 March, with the finals five days later.

The suspension comes on a day of widespread sporting postponements worldwide.

• The London Marathon has been moved from 26 April to 4 October, with the Manchester and Brighton Marathons also postponed.
• Uefa has postponed next week’s Champions League and Europa League fixtures.
• In rugby union, Saturday’s Six Nations match between Wales and Scotland has been postponed, as has Sunday’s Premiership Cup final between Sale and Harlequins.
• Cycling’s Giro d’Italia, scheduled to start in Hungary in May, has been called off.
• England’s Test cricket series in Sri Lanka has been cancelled.
• Golf’s opening major of the year, the Masters, has been postponed.
• Formula 1 has called off the Vietnam Grand Prix on 5 April.
• Formula E is suspended for two months, affecting races in Paris, Seoul and Jakarta.
• Will I get a refund if my event is cancelled?

Late on Thursday, it was announced Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had tested positive for the virus, and early on Friday Chelsea striker Callum Hudson-Odoi revealed he had been affected, while Everton say a first-team player has shown symptoms.

Earlier this week, several clubs – including Arsenal, Chelsea, Leicester City, Bournemouth, Manchester City, Juventus and Real Madrid – revealed they have either all or some of their playing staff in self-isolation.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “In this unprecedented situation, we are working closely with our clubs, government, the FA and EFL and can reassure everyone the health and welfare of players, staff and supporters are our priority.”

The Premier League said its “aim is to reschedule the displaced fixtures”, while the Football Association said “all parties are committed at this time to trying to complete this season’s domestic fixture programme”.

On Thursday Prime Minister Boris Johnson said suspending major public events such as sporting fixtures was being considered by the government but would be a measure primarily to protect public services, rather than delay the spread.

The EFL said: “This decision has not been taken lightly, but the EFL must prioritise the health and well-being of players, staff and supporters while also acknowledging the government’s national efforts in tackling this outbreak.”

Football has also been suspended in Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and the USA.

‘Early April an impossible return’ – analysis

These are deeply worrying times for football – and for world sport – which is having to face up to a period of disruption and dislocation unprecedented in peacetime.

Privately, senior football figures admit that resuming the English league season in early April – when the initial suspension will be reviewed – will be almost impossible.

Their hope is that next week a decision is taken by Uefa to postpone Euro 2020 for a year, thereby freeing up space in the calendar to reschedule outstanding matches, and complete domestic league seasons across the continent at some stage.

The problem is that the outbreak is expected to be at its peak in May and June, so some within the game fear that if the suspension keeps on being extended, the season will have to be abandoned and declared void.

This would obviously be a nightmare scenario for the fans of Liverpool and Leeds United, who both stand on the brink of long-awaited glory. But it would also have severe financial ramifications for clubs, players, staff and broadcasters, along with the wider sporting industry.

Amid the threat of legal action and demands for refunds from season ticket holders, clubs will now be scrambling to check insurance policies and commercial contracts.

This a crisis no one saw coming.

And one that leaves a gaping hole in the country’s cultural fabric at a tense and troubling time, when many people could do with the welcome distraction that football brings to so many. – bbc.com

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Two-time Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya says she is “supernatural” as she confidently targets the 200m at Tokyo 2020.

Caster Semenya has won two Olympic titles and three world titles over 800m

The 29-year-old cannot compete in events between 400m and a mile without taking testosterone-reducing drugs after a World Athletics rule change.

South African Semenya ran 200m in 23.49 seconds – 0.69secs outside the Olympic qualifying time – at an event in Pretoria on Friday.

“I call myself supernatural,” she said.

The three-time world 800m champion, who spoke of her decision to switch to the 200m in an Instagram post on Friday, must bring her time down to 22.80secs before 29 June to qualify for the South African Olympic team.

“We are chopping the times and I call myself supernatural. I can do anything I want,” she added.

“I always challenge myself. This was not an easy decision to make.

“I am used to running two laps and then you come and run half a lap. You have to adjust, which is not easy, but anything is possible.”

If Semenya qualifies for the Olympics – which begin on 24 July – she would be set to compete against Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, who won 200m gold at the 2019 World Championships.

Semenya, who won Olympic gold in the 800m in 2012 and 2016, missed the chance to defend her world 800m title in Doha last year, having failed in her bid to prevent the governing body’s rule change.

World Athletics argued female athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) – such as Semenya – have “a competitive advantage”.

In February, Semenya competed in her first track meeting since last June with victory in the 300m in Johannesburg, winning her race in a national record of 36.78secs. – bbc.com

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Hollywood studios are reacting to the global coronavirus pandemic by delaying the release of more huge film releases.

Disney blockbuster Mulan is the latest film to be postponed as experts predict £3.9bn could be wiped off the global box office.

Disney has pushed back the release of its blockbuster remake of Mulan as the industry attempts to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. The film had been set to arrive in UK cinemas on 27 March and its stars gathered in London on Thursday for a scaled back European premiere.

However, shortly after the cast posed for pictures on the red carpet, Disney announced the film – a remake of the 1998 animated classic – had been delayed. Disney said the film will now be released on an unspecified date later in the year, along with horror films The New Mutants and Antlers.

Some film industry analysts have reportedly estimated the outbreak could wipe £3.9bn off the global box office. Shares in Cineworld in the UK dropped by 24% on Thursday and the company has said the spread of coronavirus could make it unable to pay its debts in a worst-case scenario.

The upcoming releases of A Quiet Place 2 and the latest Fast and Furious movie, F9, have also been postponed. John Krasinski, writer and director of A Quiet Place 2, announced on Thursday that his film, a Paramount Pictures release, would not open next week as planned but be postponed to as yet-announced date.

Universal Pictures also announced that F9 won’t open on 22 May as planned but in April next year. “One of the things I’m most proud of is that people have said our movie is one you have to see together,” Krasinksi said in a message on social media. “Well due to the ever-changing circumstances of what’s going on in the world around us, now is clearly not the right time to do that.”

The James Bond film No Time To Die, one of the year’s biggest releases, has been pushed back from April to November. It’s not just Disney’s films which have been affected by the virus.

It is closing its California theme parks from Saturday until the end of the month, even though there have been no reported coronavirus cases at either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park.

Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Paris Resort will also be closing from Sunday until the end of the month, the Walt Disney Company announced.

Many British families will have had Easter breaks to the parks planned which they may now need to cancel or postpone if they can.

Restrictions on travel and large public events in some parts of the world mean many music stars are cancelling gigs due to coronavirus, including The Who, Billie Eilish and Madonna. – skynews.com

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