Fight Crime, President Zuma Urges Youth

Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma told the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) on Tuesday to prioritise poverty alleviation, rural development and crime fighting programmes.

Zuma was addressing young people at the Huntersfield stadium in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, during June 16 Youth Day celebrations.

He was also launching the NYDA, the result of a merger of the National Youth Commission and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund, which was established to promote youth development issues.

"We have prioritised education over the next five years, therefore the creation of an environment which promotes skills development, and economic participation of youth will be one of the primary tasks of the ANC.

"We all expect the agency to assist in promoting youth participation in democratic processes, community and civic decision-making and development at all levels," he said. He said the government had the responsibility "to create an environment where our young people can extricate themselves from poverty and build successful lives".

"On this day we reaffirm that we have heard the voices of youth in distress. We are aware of unemployed youths, those in conflict with the law, those in abject poverty and those who seek assistance in our townships and rural villages.

"Youth development is therefore a critical focus area for our government," Zuma said.
'He's making us sleepy'

He had earlier sent the crowd into a frenzy when he ascended the podium and chanted his infamous umshini wam song.

As he danced, masses of youth at the stadium danced along with him.

Some school children appeared bored when he stopped dancing and addressed them.

"U Zuma uyabora... Uyalalisa (he's boring and making us sleepy)," said a young man.

However, other young people listened attentively to Zuma's speech, saying they hoped to be among those who would get the jobs that Zuma promised to deliver by the end of December 2009.

* News 24

I Think I'm Going To Stop

For a while in the blogworld, you know, like dissolve into thin air and suddenly vanish from leaving comments and reading other's blogs.





But I still am gonna be around to update my blog as frequently as I could.





My stats would certainly plummet, this I'd known, but what's more important than my life, right?? (although blogging is part of my life now)





But I really need to have these few days to focus on the real life, and not those binary codes that are translated into colourful pictures and readable text which I indulge ever so often nowadays.





Meaning => I need to take a break from all the virtual world.





But I won't be entirely gone, I will still post entries and reply comments if I could.





If you are curious why the sudden decission, then I would say that its because I'm having an upcoming interview on Friday and I really need to get working on applying for like 1000++ of jobs.





Till then my friends....

Feud Between Gono and Biti Spills into Courts

A long abandoned case involving Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s law firm, Honey and Blanckenberg was resuscitated last week Tuesday in the Harare Magistrates Court.

Three years ago the firm was accused of ‘externalising’ over a US$1 million in payments from overseas clients but the matter then seemed to have died a natural death.



In a sign that the feud between Biti and Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono is far from over, the weekly Zimbabwe Standard newspaper reports that the case has now been raised from the grave. Lazarus Dhlakama, an inspector in the Financial Intelligence Unit of the RBZ made the complaint against Biti’s law firm to the police.

The MDC has been fighting tooth and nail to have Gono removed from the Central Bank accusing him of destroying its integrity through quasi-fiscal activities. The governor himself admitted to raiding private foreign currency accounts claiming this was to keep the government afloat.

In the political battle that ensued Gono fought back by leaking to the media an acrimonious letter he wrote to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. In that letter he accused Biti of harassing him and pursuing a personal vendetta because the RBZ was investigating the ‘externalisation’ allegations.

Meanwhile, Biti’s law firm last week filed an application with the Supreme Court before a trial date could be set. They argued that the search warrants used to raid their offices were not only invalid, but the documents seized were protected under attorney-client privilege. The firm says it cannot defend itself from the charges without breaching this privilege.

Honey and Blanckenberg have also denied the charges saying they only received about US$3000 per month in consultancy fees from a firm registered outside the country. This amount was ‘remitted and banked in Zimbabwe in full compliance with exchange control laws,’ it said.

* SW RadioAfrica

Tsvangirai olds Talks With German Chancellor Merkel

The German government on Monday pledged close to 30 million euros to Zimbabwe to be used to improve the education, health and farming sectors.

The pledge followed a meeting between the Chancellor and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in Berlin, where the German government assured him of its full support for his pro-democracy work in Zimbabwe.


Tsvangirai arrived in Berlin on Sunday from Washington and before Monday’s talks he was received with full military honours. He also inspected a guard of honour.

James Maridadi, Tsvangirai’s spokesman told us that the Prime Minister was heartened by the fact that Chancellor Merkel was able to express support for Zimbabwe.

Merkel also described Tsvangirai as a ‘symbol of democratisation’ in Zimbabwe, and added there were some encouraging signs following the formation of the unity government four months ago.Merkel said wherever possible Germany would give support, but this remains conditional upon further democratic advances in the country.

Later in the day, Tsvangirai met the German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, who announced that Germany would give the World Bank 20 million euros to help Zimbabwe, along with five million euros to buy seed and fertiliser for small-time Zimbabwean farmers.

The Prime Minister’s visit to Berlin is part of a three-week tour of Europe and the United States designed to rally political and financial support from Western governments. He leaves Berlin for Stockholm, Sweden on Monday night.

During his European tour, Tsvangirai is also due to meet British Premier Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as the leaders of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Belgium, and senior European Union officials.

He has so far succeeded in gaining modest commitments from several countries to increase humanitarian aid which will be channeled through non-governmental organisations.

Last Friday US President Barack Obama pledged US$73 million.

Tsvangirai told journalists after his meeting with Merkel that the unity government had made ‘real progress in stabilising runaway inflation and in trying to create the conditions for democracy.’ He added that Zimbabwe is changing and is changing for the better.

* SW Radio Africa

New IMF Mission Arrives in Zimbabwe

HARARE (AFP) — The head of an International Monetary Fund team arrived in Zimbabwe on Monday to assess the coalition government's economic policies and the country's still enormous humantarian needs, officials said.

"The IMF staff mission will look into the country's economic performance since the setting up of the incluisve government in February," an official close to the delegation told AFP.



"The delegation will, among other things, hold meetings with government officials and representatives of industry."

The IMF mission is the third since the start of the year, and follows the fund's decision last month to resume technical aid to Zimbabwe, which for years had been barred any assistance.

The rest of the IMF team will arrive within a week, and the mission is set to wrap up its work on June 29, officials said.

According to the IMF, the team will assess foreign exchange inflows and the state of international reserves and will meet with the World Food Programme about the country's food needs.

The mission will also discuss the United Nation's 718-million-dollar humanitarian appeal that includes food aid for six million Zimbabweans -- about half the population.

In February, long-time rivals President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai formed an inclusive government following a deal brokered by former South African president Thabo Mbeki.

The new government is seeking 8.5 billion dollars to revive the shattered economy and the civil service, including schools and hospitals, but major Western nations have withheld aid demanding to see more significant political reforms.

Zimbabwe Soldiers and Police say Inclusive Government Easing Tension

Lower-ranking police officers and army troops in Zimbabwe say they are better off under the country's new inclusive government.

But they quietly say they fear there is too much political involvement in the security services. Zimbabwe's army has about 30,000 soldiers who earn $100 a month.


It was reported that lower ranking soldiers carried out most of the beatings of Movement for Democratic Change supporters during last year's elections.

A private with four years service told VOA he beat MDC supporters because senior officers loyal to President Robert Mugabe's Zanu PF, forced him to.

The soldier, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals, said he is relieved an inclusive government is now in place, because those pressures are now gone. He is critical of top officers in the Zimbabwe National Army, who he says are unprofessional because they openly support Zanu PF, the former ruling party.

Zimbabwe's top generals have refused to salute Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who won more votes in the March 2008 election than President Robert Mugabe.

VoA

Outfit Of The Day

When I'm having a bad hair day and a bad facial day and a bad eye day, I would just simply throw on my baseball cap (not that I really wear it out) and cover up all those imperfections.

Baseball cap: Nike, Jumpsuit: Topshop, Belt: Unbranded, Shoes: Topshop, Bangles and bracelets: China, Marie Claire, Malaysia

This is the problem of not having my photographer (boyfriend) taking my pictures. Needed to use mirror to do self portrait which I'm really suck in.

Just can't get over the fact that these Topshop wedges are just simply lovely. Love the height, love the straps, love the chunkiness, love the colour...

My next goal is to buy Chloe shoes which I found them from Yoox website, it costs around £130. Anticipating it a lot and hopefully my finanacial crisis could melt away by then.

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p/s: It was raining hail (ice) yesterday in the afternoon. Like WTF!? Its suppose to be summer, helloooo.... And why is it only 14'C ?