By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies Approximately 35% of mpox vaccines donated by Japan to combat a dangerous new outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo are being wasted due to stringent preparation requirements that leave doses unusable within hours, the head of the country’s mpox response has told Reuters. Congo’s mpox lead, Cris Kacita, reported that while over half a million people have been vaccinated, the loss rate for the Japanese LC16 vaccine is between 32% and 35%. “We’re really doing everything we can to prevent loss,” Kacita stated. The wastage occurs because each vial contains 250 powder doses…
Author: Montage Africa
Before a capacity audience at Constitution Hill — a site symbolic of South Africa’s struggle, freedom, and rebirth — Africa’s leading branding authority, Thebe Ikalafeng, launched his much-anticipated follow-up to his bestselling memoir The Traveller: Crossing Borders and Connecting Africa. In conversation with veteran broadcaster Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu, and interspersed with a Pan-African playlist curated with Lebo M and performed by DJ Kenzhero and DJ XO, the evening blended intellect, rhythm, and reflection. Her Royal Highness Queen Nozizwe Mulela of the Zulu Kingdom delivered the opening remarks, and the event was facilitated by Reverend Kabelo Motlhakane. Thebe Ikalafeng’s New #1 Book — Rooted & Rising The launch was covered by SABC African Language…
Spotify, through its global LGBTQIA+ initiative, GLOW celebrates the indomitable spirit of the legendary Brenda Fassie, the Queen of African Pop. Known for her bold artistry, fearless individuality and cultural influence, she remains one of Africa’s most revered music icons. At the heart of this celebration is ‘The Impact of Brenda Fassie’ – a 10-minute documentary which premiered today on Spotify’s YouTube channel, spotlighting Brenda’s influence across generations. The film features artists who have drawn inspiration from her sound and unapologetic presence – amongst them are Langa Mavuso, Zoë Modiga, Muneyi, and Nanette. Beyond the documentary, Spotify brought Brenda’s legacy to life through a memorable event which took place on Tuesday,…
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Zimbabwe and Wild Horizons, part of the Tourvest Group, have entered into a partnership to strengthen community resilience and transform access to education, clean water and sustainable livelihoods in Victoria Falls. The collaboration brings UNICEF’s expertise in child-focused development together with Wild Horizons’ deep community presence to create a scalable model for climate resilient schools that directly benefit children, teachers and surrounding communities. Gary Archer, Chief Executive Officer of Wild Horizons, says, “This partnership is focused on taking meaningful and tangible action for our children and communities. Combining UNICEF’s technical expertise with our community ties,…
By Rédaction Africanews At least six people lost their lives in a tragic crowd crush during a military recruitment exercise at Accra’s El-Wak Sports Stadium in Ghana. The stampede occurred early Wednesday morning before the event officially began, triggered by a sudden surge of applicants who overwhelmed security and rushed through the stadium gates. Thousands of young Ghanaians, amid a youth unemployment rate of around 13%, had gathered hoping to secure a spot in the Ghana Armed Forces. The recruitment deadline had been extended by a week to accommodate applicants who faced challenges with the online registration process, leading to…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP Turkey’s defence force has confirmed that all 20 soldiers on board a military transport plane that crashed in neighbouring Georgia on Tuesday have died. The C-130 plane had taken off from Ganja, Azerbaijan, and was heading back to Turkey when the accident took place. Images from the site show burned out bits of the 57-year-old C-130 scattered over farmland near the border with Azerbaijan as search-and-rescue teams scan the grounds. A Turkish accident investigation team reach the area on Wednesday but are yet to determine the cause of the crash. It is being reported that…
Everyone is excited about Detty December, even the Nigerian government. So much so that a presidential task force on Detty December is set to be established, with representatives from critical ministries like aviation, interior, arts and culture, and others. The task force was announced by Hannatu Musa Musawa, the minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, after an executive council meeting with Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu. For the uninitiated, Detty December is the colloquial term for the bustling month of activities in the final month of the year, across Nigeria, particularly in Lagos. The term also applies in Ghana and fringes across West…
By Kate Shead, HR Executive at Telviva The field of customer service is undergoing a profound transformation with the proliferation of communication channels, and as businesses increasingly adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in an effort to provide immediate service. Even as technology is infused into more areas of the business, humans will still have a crucial role to play. However, this will likely require new skills for service agents, and organisations will have to invest in training to deliver exceptional customer experience (CX). We are seeing the growing capability of technology altering the role of human service agents. With…
By Dominic Wabwireh with AP The United Nations’ top humanitarian official, Tom Fletcher, met with Sudanese Armed Forces leader General Abdelfattah Al-Burhan on Tuesday, in a high-level diplomatic effort to secure critical access for life-saving aid delivery across the war-torn nation. Following the meeting in Port Sudan, Fletcher described the discussions as “constructive conversations” aimed at ensuring that aid agencies can “continue to operate everywhere across Sudan to deliver in a neutral, independent and impartial way.” The talks are part of Fletcher’s week-long mission to address a catastrophic humanitarian crisis exacerbated by the ongoing conflict between the national army and…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP Lebanese authorities released the son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on Monday after he paid a $900,000 bail, ending his 10-year detention for allegedly withholding information about a missing Lebanese cleric, security officials and a member of his defence team said. One of Hannibal Gadaafi’s lawyers, Charbel Milad al-Khoury, said his client was released Monday evening after necessary paperwork was finished. “Hannibal is officially free and has the full right to choose the destination that he wants,” al-Khoury said. He refused to give further details about Gaddafi’s future movements out of security concerns. The release came days…