GAUTENG, South Africa’s economic hub, has welcomed the commencement of flights into the country by Zambia Airways. The first flight touched down at the O.R Tambo International in Johannesburg on Thursday amid fanfare, as the aircraft was welcomed with the traditional water cannon salute. It will service the Lusaka-Johannesburg route with flights running twicedaily. Gauteng Air Access, in collaboration with the Gauteng Tourism Authority(GTA), has been working closely with Zambia Airways to make this route areality. “Now, we’re ready to…

Zhang Jiliang and Wang Youliang, two villagers from Baoxing County, Ya’an City, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, came close to wild giant pandas on 12 May while working in the virgin forest at an altitude of 2,700 metres above the sea level in Liangzigou, the source of the Qingyi River.  “The giant panda drank river water for three full minutes before walking towards the direction we were hiding,” Zhang said. In order not to affect the giant pandas, they took the…

REFUGEES in Tanzania will soon receive half the food ration they require, due to funding shortages afflicting the World Food Programme’s (WFP’s) response. More than 200 000 refugees in the East African country will be affected. WFP says it needs US$21 million to provide food assistance. In March, further reductions were made, dropping the ration from meeting 80 percent of the food needs to 65 percent. “A few contributions have arrived on time, and we are now forced to makethe…

UGANDA’S Anti-Homosexuality Act has sent shockwaves through the human rights fraternity and elicited outrage from the West, where same-sex liaisons are widely accepted. These liberties are frowned upon by most of the developing world, hencethere was outcry when President Yoweri Museveni signed into law theAnti-Homosexuality Bill on Monday. The European Union (EU) was among the first to raise concern at the lawthat introduces severe punishments, including the death penalty, towhich the EU’s High Representative to Uganda, Josep Borell said wasopposed…

CLIMATE change, leading to reduced water levels, illegal fishing and poor methods are putting under threat the lives and livelihoods of fishers dependant on the Lake Kariba. Artisinal fishermen in the Siavonga district, south of Zambia, lamented the setbacks amid poor fish harvests. “Our source of livelihood as artisanal fishermen is under threat due to the diminishing water levels in Lake Kariba,” said Edward Kombe of Matinangala area. He depends on fishing to provide for his wife and three children.…

BECAUSE of its magnificence and its teeming wildlife as well as clear, mesmerising blue waters and cultural heritage, Kariba has vast potential to be a tourist hub in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional bloc. Also boasting the largest man-made dam in the world, the northern Zimbabwean town has the capacity to match the more famous Victoria Falls if properly marketed. Thus, the Zimbabwean government is intensifying efforts to revive the city as a prime tourist destination. When tourism…

THE expansion and frequency of routes by international airlines into Zimbabwe is a boost to the country’s Open Skies policy. Nunurai Ndawana, Fastjet Zimbabwe spokesperson, said the new routes area testament to the airline’s commitment to the growth of tourism and the sustainability of air services in the markets. These planned additional routes to the airline’s domestic network will offer seamless connections for travelers from Harare and Victoria Falls to Zimbabwe’s top domestic tourism destinations of Kariba and Hwange, with…

THIS pastime found to be popular in the world-famous Bali island of Indonesia is inspiring the growth of quad biking in the Zimbabwean resort town of Kariba. It has come in handy as stakeholders in devising strategies to diversify tourism offering in this northern Zimbabwean town. Kariba Quad Bike Adventures is the brainchild of Jacob Parichi (39), after he realised a gap in the local tourism space. In an interview, he mentioned how the idea drew inspiration from Bali. “I…

Limpopo model Kgaoletso Ntsoane has set her sights on scooping the South African title of Miss Teen World with the hopes of representing the country in South America later this year. Ntsoane, 18, is not just a beauty queen, but a self-motivated hard-worker who believes in using her brain power to inspire the lives of young people in her rural home village of Ga-Mphahlele Maijane outside Polokwane. She is currently preparing to participate in the South African leg of the…

THE World Tourism Organisation (WTO) has welcomed the end of the public health emergency phase for COVID-197. WTO believes this recent announcement represents a major milestone in the global effort to combat the virus. “We welcome WHO’s decision to end the emergency status for COVID-19,” said WTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. WHO is an acronym for the World Health Organisation. “This is an important signal and a moment to stand back and reflect on how we can overcome challenges only in…