Redcliff, Zimbabwe— In a landmark achievement for gender equality, Redcliff Municipality has reached a 50/50 gender parity following the election and subsequent swearing-in of Councillor Christine Sigauke. This marks the municipality as the first local authority under the Second Republic, led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, to achieve such parity.

The recent elections brought six female councillors to office, aligning with six male colleagues to fulfill the government’s vision of gender balance in local governance. This balance has been bolstered by the Second Republic’s policy initiative that mandates at least 30 percent female representation in local authorities.

Councillor Sigauke’s victory in the Ward 3 by-election on April 6 was pivotal in achieving this milestone. She triumphed over opposition candidate Tinei Siziba, representing the ruling Zanu-PF party. The seat was previously held by Mayor Clayton Masiyatsva, who passed away in January due to illness.

Alongside Sigauke’s election, Redcliff’s government saw other significant appointments, including Alderman Vincent Masiiwa stepping in as mayor and Councillor Fortunate Makawa being named deputy mayor.

Kwekwe District Development Coordinator, Mr. Fortune Mpungu, lauded this achievement, emphasizing its significance for the district and the broader agenda of women’s empowerment. “Redcliff Municipality has set a precedent, not only in Zimbabwe but potentially in the region, by actualizing the envisioned gender parity,” stated Mr. Mpungu.

Mr. Mpungu also used this occasion to remind the new councillors of their responsibilities towards good governance and the aspirations of the Redcliff community. He expressed hopes for the municipality to advance towards achieving city status by 2030, underlining the necessity for all councillors to actively engage and deliver on public expectations of improved infrastructure and services.

The success of Redcliff Municipality in achieving gender parity is seen as a critical step forward in enhancing women’s participation in governance and decision-making processes across Zimbabwe, providing a model for other local authorities to follow.- ZIANA

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The Wenchang Space Launch Site has said it is ready for the launch of China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe.

This photo taken on April 27, 2024 shows the combination of the Chang’e-6 lunar probe and the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket being transferred vertically to the launching area at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China’s Hainan Province. (Photo by Huang Guochang/Xinhua)

The site, located in southern province of Hainan, on Wednesday conducted a final rehearsal for the launch, covering all relevant systems comprehensively.

The site’s meteorological system has strengthened its monitoring and analysis processes to ensure a successful launch.

The Chang’e-6 lunar probe and Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket combination was transferred vertically to the site’s launch area on Saturday.

The probe is set to collect samples from the far side of the moon, making this mission the first of its kind in human history.

<!–enpproperty 1171633032024-05-02 09:19:31:0China,Chang’e-6 lunar probe10077075074NationNationhttp://www.china.org.cn/china/2024-05/02/content_117163303.htmnullXinhua​The Wenchang Space Launch Site has said it is ready for the launch of China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe.101刘偲伊/enpproperty–>

In a video that circulated on X Wednesday, Robert De Niro can be seen yelling at a crowd while Jesse Plemons looks on from the sidelines. The video, taken by an unknown outlooker, was reposted by several pro-Israel accounts that subtitled De Niro’s dialogue and began circulating it, claiming that De Niro was shouting at pro-Palestinian protestors and referring to the Israel-Hamas War that started Oct. 7.

But the veteran actor was actually rehearsing a new Netflix show on location, his representative Stan Rosenfield confirmed. “What was seen was erroneous reports of Robert De Niro supposedly yelling at a group of anti-Israeli protesters,” Rosenfield said.

“De Niro’s lines were 100% scripted,” said the rep. “The video was a small snippet from a rehearsal scene from the Netflix series ‘Zero Day‘ which was being filmed on the streets of New York, April 27, where the character played by De Niro is confronting a group (all paid extras).”

“Someone copied the post and fabricated an entirely different and bogus meaning,” Rosenfield explained.

Netflix also confirmed that De Niro’s speech was from the series’ script and not related to demonstrations in response to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

In the video, De Niro can be heard shouting, “This is not a movie, this is real! That’s dangerous and they say they’re going to do it again! Again! You don’t want that. None of us want that. C’mon. Let’s all get serious.”

The footage was misrepresented in several posts on social media, including one that labeled the video, “Robert De Niro Stands with Israel!”

In the conspiracy thriller series “Zero Day,” De Niro plays a former President of the U.S. who comes out of retirement to lead a commission investigating a potential world crisis — a serious cyber-attack. The series co-stars Plemons, Lizzy Caplan, Joan Allen, Connie Britton, Matthew Modine and Angela Bassett.

The six-episode series is directed and executive-produced by “Homeland’s” Lesli Linka Glatter, and is De Niro’s first TV series.