263Chat - Zimbabwean media organisation focused on encouraging & participating in progressive national dialogue

EcoCash today announced a major upgrade of its platform scheduled for the weekend, which will result in a 24-hour downtime of all EcoCash services. Announcing the upgrade – which is set to take place between 9pm on Saturday (November 16) and 9pm on Sunday (November 17) 2019 – the company said the upgrade is meant, among other things, to improve the mobile money platform’s performance by increasing capacity, enhancing security and offering more automated selfcare services for its clients. “The EcoCash system upgrade,…

There are 2.6 million Apps for Android smartphones, and 2.2m for iPhone users. And globally more than 6 000 new Apps are registered daily. By Strive Masiyiwa I am very selective about the Apps I use but I generally use about 30 Apps, including this one, called Facebook - which is just one out of 2,6m  available to me. Looking at my Apps, I use Apps that help me with wellbeing, news, business, entrepreneurship and entertainment (smallest number). One of my favorite Apps is called Oura; I have a ring which collects…

Mbare-bred Zimdancehall chanter, Seh Calaz has come out guns blazing lashing at people who say he has exhausted everything from his bag of tricks in as far as his music career is concerned. Calaz, together with Killer T and Soul Jah Love are among the pioneering Zimdancehall musicians who burst onto the scene over five years ago, becoming instant household names in the high density suburbs popularly known as ghettos. In his recent statement themed Debunking the Myth that I'm "finished" the Hatipisike singer shared…

Harare Magistrate Usheunesu Matova on Tuesday 12 November 2019 set free Harare North constituency legislator Hon. Allan Norman Markham, who was charged with committing public violence during an anti-government demonstration held in January to protest against the unilateral hike in the price of fuel. Hon. Markham’s trial was scheduled to commence at Harare Magistrates Court on Tuesday 12 November 2019 after suffering a false start on Monday 28 October 2019, when he first appeared in court. The opposition MDC-Alliance…

A research conducted by the Ministry of Health and Child Care has concluded that people with bilharzia have a high risk of contracting HIV, 263Chat has learnt. This was said during the stakeholders meeting for the feedback on the results of Impact Assessment of  six rounds (years) of Mass Drug Administration for Schitosomiasis and Soil transmitted Helminthiasis in Victoria falls. After conducting studies in relation to Schistosomiasis(also known as bilharzia)  treatment,  the relevant ministry has noted that people…

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has put forward an ambitious budget proposal for the provision of sanitary wear to school going girls, deputy minister Edgar Moyo has said. The ministry in a research carried out recently, took note of the fact that menstruation hygiene is one of the major reasons why most young girls abscond school. In an interview with 263Chat, Moyo said the ministry has presented a budget to the Ministry of Finance to cater for sanitary wear for school girls. "We have presented a bill…

MUTARE- Zimbabwe must address low capacity utilization in small to medium industries to position itself for opportunities provided by the African Continental Free Trade Area, a trade expert has said. By Donald Nyarota United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) program management officer in the African Trade and Policy Centre, Batanai Chikweme said under current constricted production capacity, Zimbabwean products will not be competitive on the continental market. He urged government to focus on…

The introduction of the new coins and notes has come as great relief for most Zimbabweans who have been made to “buy” cash from street traders due to its scarcity. Since 2015, cash in the market has dwindled yet authorities have been cautious about printing more cash and instead they have been encouraging citizens to embrace plastic money since then. While the triumphant story of how this country quickly shifted focus towards the use of electronic money will outshine most African countries still struggling to step into…