News
Tanzanian president urges public not to fear COVID-19 pandemic
Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Sunday urged members of the public to stop fearing the COVID-19 pandemic but he said they should continue observing protective guidelines issued by health authorities.
Magufuli made the appeal when he attended Sunday prayers at a church in his native town of Chato in Geita region, said a statement by the Directorate of Communications at State House.
According to the statement, President Magufuli urged Tanzanians to continue working hard, especially in mass production of food saying neighboring countries which were on lockdown will need food supplies when the lockdown was relaxed.
The president reiterated his decision to rule out a lockdown and closure of borders because he said doing so will affect production, implementation of projects and other economic activities, said the statement.
He appealed to religious leaders to conduct prayers for three consecutive days from next Friday, Saturday and Sunday to thank God because COVID-19 infections in the east African nation have started to go down.
Magufuli said latest statistics showed that as of Sunday, Amana hospital in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam which had 198 COVID-19 patients now remained with 12 patients, Mloganzila hospital admitted 30 patients but it now remained with six patients and Lulanzi health facility in Kibaha district had more than 50 patients but it now remained with 22 patients.
He added that in private hospitals like the Aga Khan Hospital remained with 31 COVID-19 patients, Hindu Mandal Hospital remained with 16 patients.”Even my child was infected with COVID-19 but has recovered after taking lemons and ginger. This disease will therefore spread and be contained,” said Magufuli.
The president said if the trend of recovery continued persistently he will soon reopen universities, adding that he was also thinking of resuming sports events.
Magufuli also ordered the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and other relevant authorities to allow tourists who had planned to visit Tanzania. “You should not stop planes bringing tourists in the country,” he said. -Xinhua
News
Ghana-Colombia strengthens ties through diplomatic engagement
In an important diplomatic engagement, the Colombian Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Daniel Garces Carabali paid a courtesy call on the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, at his office in Accra to discuss some key areas of collaboration.
The meeting focused on pressing issues, including security, decongestion of Ghana’s prisons, prison reform programmes, training programmes, improving the welfare of prisoners and enhancing disaster management in the country.
The courtesy call underscores the growing bilateral ties between Ghana and Colombia, building on previous engagements, such as the visit of the Colombian Vice President to Ghana in 2023.
The meeting demonstrates the commitment of both nations to fostering cooperation and addressing shared challenges.
News
Ghana to host African Catholic Journalists from August 10
The Union Catholique Africaine de la Presse (UCAP), also known as the African Catholic Union of the Press, in collaboration with the Catholic Association of Media Practitioners-Ghana (CAMP-G), is set to host its prestigious Triennial Congress from August 10 to 17 August, 2025.
The programme would be held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Legon, Accra, Ghana.
This landmark event, the most significant gathering of Catholic journalists in Africa, will bring together media professionals, researchers, and experts in digital technology from across the continent and beyond.
The theme for the Congress is: “Balancing Technological Progress and the Preservation of Human Values in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
Congress Highlights
The UCAP Congress 2025 will feature discussions and deliberations on critical issues arising from or related to integral human development, particularly within the framework of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Some of the key sub-themes to be addressed include:Corporate Social Responsibility in Managing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Human Values, Deploying AI in Eco-friendly Business Start-ups in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges, Technology and the Reprogramming of Social Reality, Distortion of Reality in Social and Digital Media, Ecological Education and Action Against Unsustainable Exploitation of Natural Resources, and Media and the Promotion of the Recommendations of the Synod on Synodality in Africa.
Participants will include media professionals from both ecclesiastical and lay organisations, media researchers and academics, representatives from the Vatican, government agencies, NGOs, civil society, and the digital technology sector.
Objectives of the Congress
The primary goal of this Congress is to strengthen the capacities of media professionals and educate the public on the necessity of preserving human values amid rapid technological progress. Specific objectives include; Training 100 media practitioners in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, with a focus on balancing innovation and human values.
This will include promoting ethics and bioethics in technical research and technological innovations through media.
Advocating for human values such as respect for life, human dignity, charity, solidarity, and human rights and assessing the impact of technological progress to better understand the challenges, risks, and opportunities presented by AI will be part of the objectives.
UCAP is a continental organisation dedicated to promoting communication within the Catholic Church and its partners in Africa. With a mission to foster spiritual growth, collaboration, and responsible journalism, UCAP works to spread the Gospel, uphold human values, and support developmental initiatives across Africa and beyond.
UCAP is an independent, autonomous, non-political, and non-profit organisation comprising African Catholic journalists, communicators, academics, researchers, and institutions in various media fields.
