ബ്രീഡ്‌ ബസ്കെറ്റ്‌ ഓഫ് five

The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) said that the family basket currently stands at US$501,36, which is beyond the reach of many families in Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwe Independent paper, business digest indicated that Zimbabwe monthly consumer inflation rose to 1% in July from 0.6 % in June. This inflationary rate is logic and indicates that Zimbabwe need to stick to the dollarization to revive its economy.

The Central Statistical Office (CSO) reflected that Zimbabwe’s month to month inflation returned to single digit after government abandoned the local currency in January 2009. Most food outlets shelves are full packed with basic commodities at reasonable cost. Most people have hailed the improvement by big shops to acquire the basic goods and selling them at reasonable cost.

In Zimbabwe at the moment the ordinary people suffers from poor remuneration to buy all their necessities. Most Zimbabwe working classes are earning far less than the currently pegged bread basket of a family of five. The issue of comparing US dollar against rand has disadvantaged most people especially in Gweru and Bulawayo. Big shops such as Town & Country, OK, Innscor, TM and many more have a tendency of setting two different prizes using US dollars and rand.

Zimbabwe which calculates inflation in US dollars after abandoned its own currency need to implicate vibrant measures to curb inflation rate. The central governor Gideon Gono as quoted in “The Standard “, as intending to introduce the local currency(Zimbabwe dollar) should consider the plight of ordinary people. It is illogic to talk of Zimbabwe dollar when our economy is in a recovering process

Zimbabwean women unrepresented in politics

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network conducted a workshop in Mutare this week to review the harmonized election that was conducted in March 2008. The workshop was conducted with journalist and several non governmental representatives.

In this workshop several voices that represent different organizations and media houses were raised. The contentious issue among that was discussed was gender and electoral system. The director of Women Trust Luta Shaba raised concern with the under representation of women in politics. Shaba said that, “the holding of regular free and fair elections is recognized as one of the cornerstone of democratic governance. Gender equality is an integral component of democracy”

However, Shaba added that the local central statistical office puts the population estimate of Zimbabwe at 13 million. Of this population, 75 percent live in rural areas and of that rural based population 60 percent of 75 percent of them are women. Shaba contested the undermining of women by a patriarchal society in politic and said that, “ Traditionally women have owned and controlled fewer resources than men and this places them at a disadvantage compared to their male counterparts when they decide to run for public office.

In March 2008 harmonized elections in the senatorial position 56 women contested and only 20 made it. In the parliamentary posts 0ut of 116 women who contested only 30 made it.Given the fact that Zimbabwean population is dominated by women who constitute 52 percent the raise figures present a unfair balanced as compared to their male counterparts.

Again all the main political parties in Zimbabwe gave women a raw deal which remains as a contested terrain. Shaba, the Director for Women Trust told the journalist that , “ Political parties remain largely male enclaves where women are seen as being there mainly to provide support but not the lead. In addition, Shaba said it is mostly the men in the parties who decide whose candidature gets supported”.

Honorable Paul Mangwana who represent the Chibi constituency said that, “women should stop crying foul over man and should create their own party if there are not happy about their treatment from the parties they represent”.

The political parties are under no obligation to ensure gender equality or representation in their parties. The manifestos and constitutions of the two major political parties ZANU PF and MDC-T in Zimbabwe mention gender and generally demonstrate good gender analysis of development issues, but fail to develop and adopt or consistently implement firm measures to reflect commitment to gender equality and systematic approach to women's political involvement and participation, said Shaba.

It is important for Zimbabwe as a nation to instill democracy that includes the participation of women in all walk of life. Zimbabwe has acceded to international conventions and has ratified others to address the concerns of women. Practical despite those conventions women are contentiously unrepresented. The SADC Protocol accept the percentage of women in public office from 30 percent to 50 percent.

In addition, the African Union Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa established equality between men and women, interpreted to 50 percent in decision making bodies. This protocol requires state parties to adhere to this principle and put into place measures for its realization.

Shaba also complained that sometimes men bares women in politics by using educational qualifications. This raised debate as to whether leadership is only measured in educational forms or in charismatic one. Most journalist queried with Shaba and said that although men undermines women it is not true that education is highly over emphasized to pit women to assume political posts.

Piles

Piles or haemorrhoids can affect anyone, any-time and anywhere. This disease is known for affecting children, but nowadays it extends its arm to adults especially men. Piles are enlarged and engorged blood vessels in or around the anus. They are often associated with pain, bleeding, itching and feeling as if a lump or bump is hanging down.

There are two types of piles, internal and external piles and both result to enlarged blood vessels in your back passage. Internal piles are small swelling that are most common from and are tucked away in your bottom. External piles are fond of protruding from your red or purple, sometimes resembling a bunch of grapes.

The main cause of piles is really simple. It is all down to increase pressure in your blood vessels stretch and swell, leading to a variety of symptoms, including itchiness and bleeding. Increased pressure in your abdomen can be due to a multiple of factors which among includes lifting heavy loads, constipation, being overweight, pregnancy and child birth and so forth.

The symptoms of piles can be noticed both external and internal and are caused by increased pressure on your abdomen. The symptoms vary from person to person. Among to be experienced are as follows; itching and soreness around your bottom. A dragging sensation in your back passage. Blood on the toilet paper after you have been to the toilet. Discomfort or pain up when you go to toilet, a bulging or lumpy feeling inside you or hard lumps protruding from your bottom.

If you have these symptoms, you are likely that you have piles. There is plenty that you can do to make them better. One can go for treatment such as anusol, which can be bought over the counter at pharmacies.

Again, if it is your first time to encounter piles problem visit the doctor. It is roughly estimated that eight out of ten people will suffer piles at some stage of their lives.

Those with piles should not panic and feel shy since there are many people who suffers from them. In Zimbabwe there are a number of people of different age groups both males and females who suffers from piles.

Interviewing HIV positive people

Interviews in journalism is one of the most important and critical activities in the process of gathering information. Both broadcasting and print media rely extensively on interviews to craft a good story that whit the appetite of the reader.

Interviewing people who are HIV positive or those living with AIDS poses an extra challenge to journalist who must adorn a cloak of sensitivity, while being able to break through the silence and taboo in many cultures of openly talking about sex. In Zimbabwe as well as many cultures, it is a taboo to discuss issues of sex and to name them explicitly. Certain words associated with sex such as virus and condoms do not exist in the Zimbabwean local languages. Worse still human private parts in an Africa context can not be freely and easily mentioned without infringing the taboos.

For a journalist to be recognised and to be respected has to be aware of the cultural factors that can compromise people being open with information which is salient for a good interview. Culture is a complex and contested phenomenon that can be defined in a multiplicity of ways. While it can be defined as “ordinary” , that is what people do at a given moment. However, on the other hand it can perceived as a “totality of life learnt across time and is transmitted from generation to generation”.

The complexity of culture can be experienced through the way people form and express their sense of identity. As a way of life, it is made up of norms and values which informs thought perceptions and behaviour.

In many cultures, because of gender roles women are less eager to speak openly, or honestly, about the “private”, and issues related to sex and sexual behaviour. When an interview takes place where both men and women are present, women will fall silent and leave the discussion to the men.

In an African context a good woman does not openly reveal her hurts, pain, sexual abuse, violence and denial of sexual rights. Such silence perpetuates the violation of women and other human rights.

Understanding gender role in journalism tells the whole story why women may tend to be silent or less forth coming during interviews which have to do with sex or HIV/AIDS. As a journalist knowing gender relations, culture and social traits that underpin the society your are informing, help all journalist to become better forearmed and understanding “what is to be said”.

Through interviews as a method of gathering news information and understanding the complexities of important issues, journalist may begin to uncover the stories of everyday efforts by women and men who make small decision to protect themselves but come up against obstacles.

In Zimbabwe, several workshops have been conducted to educate journalist to be guided by media ethics in their day to day business. Among the issues that the media associations have been reminding journalists is that they should tell the truth, respect the individuals, protect the source, report objectively and give their audience the right to respond.

For more information you can email Masuku at masuku.caven@gmail.com or at sukuman08@yahoo.co.uk

Facebook has turned up the heat on Google

This is one of the good news that the BBC technology reporter, Maggie Shiels said about the brilliant effort that facebook have made as compared to Google as a search engine in the entire world.
“Facebook has turned up the heat on Google by purchasing content-sharing service FriendFeed, say industry watchers”, said Maggie Shiels
In addition, Shiels said that, “ many expected Google or even Twitter to buy the company, which has been praised for its "real-time" search engine”. Facebook at the moment is the only website which is friendly user and with multiple task that can be completed at one goal. The research conducted in America indicated that , the current American President Barak Obama used facebook extensively for his campaign.
This type of search is valuable because it lets you know what is happening right now on any given subject.
"Google look out, Facebook knows the real money is in real-time search," said respected blogger Robert Scoble. Facebook aprt from other activities that it provides is an excellent social networking website that links individuals across the globe. The issue of globalisation that creates cultural imperialism is largely perpetuated by the facebook. The good thing about facebook is that it creates the “public sphere”, where people from different geographical areas , with different culture can establish, repair and maintain their rapport said Nokuthula Makotsi. Most people especially in the entire world can link up with old friends and relatives through facebook.
The BBC quoted Mr Schoble who said that,"Google is the king of regular search. Friend Feed is the king of real-time search. This makes the coming battle over this issue much more interesting," Many people consulted by Caven masuku, especially the information technology expert agrees with Schoble.
The reliable sources also indicates that Back in May, Google founder Larry Page admitted that the search giant had fallen behind other services like that of Twitter, which boasts nearly 45 million users worldwide. Lary Page was quoted from BBC saying that,"People really want to do stuff real time and I think they (Twitter) have done a great job.
In addition, Page said that"We've done a relatively poor job of doing things that work on a per second basis," Mr Page said at the time. This probably indicated the improvement that facebook is making in serving its user

Exhibition

Exhibition is a good example of direct marketing that fosters reciprocity as the organisation can come at eye contact with the potential customers and discuss about their service delivery and products.

In communication dialogical model of communication is the most suitable and recommended by the communication's experts. Communication is a process of creating and exchanging meanings between or among individuals in order to reach a mutual understanding using agreed symbols. In marketing such communication is required for the better education to the customers about the new products.

Exhibition can be defined as “ direct, face to face medium. Here one can meet past, present and prospective customers and talk, discuss products and services, ask and answer questions, negotiate, judge reactions and establish real, human relationship with them....”

In Zimbabwe there are several exhibition events such as the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) which started in 1899 when the first Agricultural Show was staged by the Rhodesian Landowners and farmers Association. In 1960, after the Agricultural Show of 1899, the first Trade Fair on the present Zimbabwe International Exhibition centre was initiated.

In addition, we have the provincial agricultural shows such as “The Midlands Agricultural Show', “Harare Agricultural Show”, Zimbabwe National Art Gallary and so forth. All these activities and events are meant for exhibition. In Zimbabwe what seem to be lacking about the exhibitions are that there are taken lightly. Business people should plan which exhibition to attend and for what reasons in order to meet their organisational goals as well as their customer needs.

In all exhibition, there is need to take note of the visitors, who visits the stands of the exhibitors. Their names and the organisations they represents needs to be taken down and after the exhibition there is need to make some follow up. At ZITF international exhibitors and visitors come in number and yet at the end of the trade only few companies would manage to establish strong rapport with foreign visitors. All exhibitors from different companies need to be educated about the importance of getting new customers and boosting the sales by tracking the people who would have visited their stands.

What is need is to take the name of the person, his company that he represent and the contact details. After the event salesperson's should be given the list and tasked to make some follow up. Zimbabwe as a developing country are still lacking the skills of having experts or consultants who deals with exhibition education. For every activities or field there is need to develop experts who can produce knowledge that is good to take the business people elsewhere. The market ninch that most local business sector are failing to open is because of lack of suchj knowledge.

I future people should open up the consultancy companies that deals with exhibition in order to boost the economy of Zimbabwe. Such a person can be consulted by big organisations such as Bata Shoe Company, Zimbabwe Alloys, Hwange Mine, ZISCO Steel, Zimbabwe national Chamber of Commerce, Air Zimbabwe and so forth.

However, university such as Midlands State University (MSU), National University Science and Technology (NUST), University of Zimbabwe(UZ) and so forth should be among to consult such consultant to further their familiarity with the entire world. Public relation departments from tertiary institution such as Midlands State University should be in the lead to educate industry players about the importance of exhibitions. I wish to hear from those with better knowledge and ideas to contact me on masuku.caven@gmail.com or on 263 913210607

Defiant Berlusconi says ‘nothing to apologise for’

Reuters

“ROME. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi yesterday said he had "nothing to apologise for" over the sex scandals surrounding him and did not fear blackmail, while boasting his support among Italians was at record highs.

The 72-year-old, whose reputation has been battered by often explicit disclosures about his womanising and parties with prostitutes, called people who spread such stories "anti-Italians who should be ashamed of themselves". There was no sign of remorse in Berlusconi’s pre-vacation news conference to present the successes of his first 14 months in office. He spared no praise for his role on the diplomatic stage, saying at one point he had shown a "touch of genius".

"Nobody can blackmail me and I have no skeletons in the closet. I have nothing to apologise for in my private life, not even to my family," he told reporters. Berlusconi’s wife Veronica Lario said in May she wanted a divorce over his relationship with a teenage girl from Naples who got a 6 000-euro necklace from him for her birthday.

That disclosure was soon superseded by stories of escorts spending the night at Berlusconi’s home and reports of intimate conversations secretly taped by one woman, Patrizia D’Addario, who was promised a European Parliament seat.” — Reuters

The above story can be best understood through the critical political economy of media which explains the impact of media ownership, control and manufactured consent. This story is quoted from the Reuters, which is from Britain. It is shocking if the story is true, why Italian newspapers, including Berlusconi's media did not cover the issue.

This probably explain the untruth, unfairness that global media have to certain individuals. This propably explains the five media filters that were mentioned by Herman and Chomsky in their book entitled, “Manufactured Consent”. It is amazing the way global media report their stories. Normally it is clear that meadi is oftenly used or muzzled by the dominant elite to save their interests. Sure if Berlusconi is involved in sex scandal as reported by “Reuters”, why are the media not exposing that to the Italians citizens and the globe at large.

Media across the globe be it public or privately owned, uses selective measures to avoid to cover stories that demeans the elite status quo.I wish to hear from others how they view this issues and will be very much happy if any who happens to read this story can email me on masuku.caven@gmail.com. I am a media practitioner who practised journalism for sometime and i am now a trainer. Once a journalist always a journalist.