Mutimba's Posterous

Mutimba's Posterous http://mutimba.posterous.com The Art of the Conversation posterous.com Sat, 25 Feb 2012 09:11:00 -0800 Surprise: Australian Women Scams Nigerian Con Artists http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/qC7ThBITcTU/surprise-australian-women-scams-nigerian-con http://mutimba.posterous.com/surprise-australian-women-scams-nigerian-con <p> <p>Following her visit to Nigeria, Sarah Lacy, a former TechCrunch writer charactrizes them as masters of their own universe. </p> <p>Sarah Lacy writes about how so-called '419 Boys' <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/15/the-chilling-story-of-genius-in-a-land-of-chronic-unemployment/">extract monies from unsuspecting individuals  seeking 'easy <span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">shortcut in money or love.'</span></a></p> <p>Yet, in Sarah Jane Cochrane-Ramsey, Nigerian scammers seem to have met their match.  The Courier Mail in Australia <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/aussie-woman-scammed-nigerians-court/story-e6freonx-1226279598283">reports that Jane Cochrane-Ramsey</a> pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated fraud for scamming Nigerian con artists out of $33,000.</p> <p>That is unusual: Nigerians consider themselves leaders in conning people out of their own money. The Cochrane-Ramsey case is indeed a blow to these con stars that masquerade as consultants ready to offer one service or another and pay for it by credit card.</p> <p>In Jane Cochrane-Ramsey's case, she was required under the terms of the contract with Nigerians to pocket 8 per cent of her collections from  "<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">dodgy account on a popular car sales website," according to the Courier Mail.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/surprise-australian-women-scams-nigerian-con">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/surprise-australian-women-scams-nigerian-con#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/qC7ThBITcTU" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/surprise-australian-women-scams-nigerian-con Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:05:00 -0800 Sata's First Cabinet Reshuffle: All About Fackson Shamenda? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/WTraXvt0W-k/satas-first-cabinet-reshuffle-all-about-facks http://mutimba.posterous.com/satas-first-cabinet-reshuffle-all-about-facks <p> <p>As far as we all know, Fackson Shamenda is a strong advocate for workers rights. During his tenure as president of the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), he establised himself as a voice for the voiceless worker.</p> <p>Then there's Chishimba Kambwili, the (now former) Foreign Affairs Minister: he exudes an aura of authority and forcefulness and stands his ground.</p> <p>Despite all that, president Michael Chilufya Sata is <a href="http://tumfweko.com/2012/01/12/sata-makes-changes-to-his-cabinet/">making the first changes</a> to his Cabinet since coming to power: Given Lubinda, the Information and Tourism Minister is moving to Foreign Affairs; Chishimba Kambwili is moving to the Labour Ministry and Fackson Shamenda, who has indicated he won't do any bunjee jumping, has been moved to the Ministry of Tourism, Information and Early Childhood.</p> <p>All these reshuffles are shining the spotlight on Fackson Shamenda, a strong advocate of decent wages and fair work practices.</p> <p>Yet some feel he may not have done enough to project the Government in good light since coming to power, especially after the expiry of the much-talked about '90 day' delivery window in which Zambians waited for not only 'more money in their pockets' but also reduced taxes and more jobs.</p> <p>The former Japanese Prime Minister Yatsuhiro Nakasone famously said,"Japan is a supertanker; it takes effort to change the direction of a supertanker."</p> <p>I hope the PF government is not a supertanker!</p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/satas-first-cabinet-reshuffle-all-about-facks">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/satas-first-cabinet-reshuffle-all-about-facks#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/WTraXvt0W-k" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/satas-first-cabinet-reshuffle-all-about-facks Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:57:00 -0800 Zambians Take To Facebook To Protest AirTel's Poor Service http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/iHneXAdZ8uc/zambians-take-to-facebook-to-protest-airtels http://mutimba.posterous.com/zambians-take-to-facebook-to-protest-airtels <p> <p>It's been a week or so, and for others even longer. AirTel's netowrk seems to be failing the mobile telecommuincations company, a fact they admit, saying people hacked into their server.</p> <p>To restore connection, AirTel say they had to restart the system. And IBM are undoubtedly part of these failures.</p> <p>Now, AirTel is facing anger and a barrage of criticism since it's network started giving subscribers problems. For many, topping up credit has not been a problem.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63428468@N06/6083053374/"><img class="posterous_download_image" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6207/6083053374_07220bc815.jpg" border="0" height="221" width="500" /></a>]</p> <p>However, anger seems to be coming from the users' inability to benefit from the company's loyalty program, the most popular being 'Magic Number' which lets customers enrol to speak to a maximum of two numbers for a stated duration.</p> <p>Now, people are taking to Facebook in droves, demanding the mobile telecoms company improve its services or get shut.</p> <p>By about 9am Zambian time, over 14,900 Zambians had joined called '<a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154783504620063">Boycott AirTel for 9hrs on Wednesday.'</a></p> <p>Among other things, customers are demanding that AirTel revert to K2 per second for the 'Magic Number' promotion; that AirTel be faithful to its loyalty programs.</p> <p>In addition to that, there's a demand that AirTel deliver 3G internet and allow users to utilize proper internet speeds.</p> <p>These gaffes are embarrassing for AirTel. I recall how outgoing IBM chief Sam Palmisano met Sunil Bharti Mittal in Nairobi a few years back to sign deals for AirTel's various services which the telecoms giant outsourced.</p> <p>In September 2010, <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/i-b-m-africa-is-the-next-growth-frontier">IBM signed an agreement to supply computing technology</a> and services for an upgraded cellphone network across 16 countries.</p> <p>The deal further put IBM in charge of customer service, software, billing and call center management. </p> <p>I have no doubt that AirTel's failures are IBM's failures as well.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63428468@N06/6328474874/"><img class="posterous_download_image" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6052/6328474874_f090ddabf3.jpg" border="0" height="184" width="190" /></a>]</p> <p>It is not clear if these outages are a failure of software, or if hackers are involved.</p> <p>If customers stick to their 9hrs of boycott, that means they will be unreachable until 5pm.</p> <p>AirTel Zambia is a division of Bharti India; it serves over 42 million subscribers in 15 African countries.</p> <p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/zambians-take-to-facebook-to-protest-airtels">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/zambians-take-to-facebook-to-protest-airtels#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/iHneXAdZ8uc" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/zambians-take-to-facebook-to-protest-airtels Thu, 06 Oct 2011 23:16:00 -0700 Hon. Lubinda, there's Something Called Conflict of Interest http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/hrMr4yQHRC4/hon-lubinda-theres-something-called-conflict http://mutimba.posterous.com/hon-lubinda-theres-something-called-conflict <p> <p>If news that Joe Chilaizya is the new Director-General of the Zambia National Broadcasting</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63428468@N06/6220555945/"><img class="posterous_download_image" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6220555945_460a0b2eac.jpg" border="0" height="300" width="400" /></a>]</p> <p>Corporation turns out to be true, this country will find itself on a path 10 or more steps backwards, not only in terms of media reforms but also development.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63428468@N06/6219136291/"><img class="posterous_download_image" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6113/6219136291_f559ffbb89.jpg" border="0" height="327" width="282" /></a>]</p> <p>As a minority shareholder in radio station Hot FM, it is ethically wrong to have him run a public broabcaster.</p> <p>As a Director-General of ZNBC, Mr. Chilaizya has a formal responsibility to serve the public. Yet his interests in QFM totally and undoubtedly jeopardise his judgement, objectivity and independence.</p> <p>It is something the Information and Tourism Minister Honourable Given Lubinda could have looked into during the vetting process.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/hon-lubinda-theres-something-called-conflict">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/hon-lubinda-theres-something-called-conflict#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/hrMr4yQHRC4" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/hon-lubinda-theres-something-called-conflict Thu, 06 Oct 2011 01:19:00 -0700 Steve Jobs Is Dead http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/Lu-Dsp-JdOI/steve-jobs-is-dead http://mutimba.posterous.com/steve-jobs-is-dead <p> <p>Steve Jobs, the man who was first fired and later recalled to run Apple after founding NeXT (later acquired by Apple), has died.</p> <p>Mr. Jobs was forced out of Apple in 1985 following a power struggle. He later founded NeXT with $7million dollars of his own money.</p> <p>NeXT was later aquired by Apple. Upon his return to Apple, Mr. Jobs opened a chain of flashy stores, starting in 2001, an idea that was mocked by analysts, but proved to be a huge success.</p> <p>Apple now has over 350 stores.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63428468@N06/6216894024/"><img class="posterous_download_image" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6153/6216894024_ee1e45bf3b.jpg" border="0" height="351" width="468" /></a>]</p> <p>Below is a statement posted on Apple's website:</p> <blockquote class="posterous_medium_quote"> <p>Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us that have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor.  Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.</p> </blockquote> <p>Stepping aside to hand over the reigns to his second lieutenant, Mr. Jobs acknowledged that 'Apple's brightest and innovative days' are ahead of it.</p> <p>The challenge for Tim Cook and his team lies in transforming the late Job's vision into profitable reality.</p> <p>May His Soul Rest in Peace.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/steve-jobs-is-dead">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/steve-jobs-is-dead#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/Lu-Dsp-JdOI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/steve-jobs-is-dead Sat, 10 Sep 2011 02:19:00 -0700 Facebook Groups is Good News for Online Marketers http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/Iml_ldPAaus/facebook-groups-is-good-news-for-online-marke http://mutimba.posterous.com/facebook-groups-is-good-news-for-online-marke <p> <p>News coming out is that<a href="http://www.facebook.com" target="_blank"> Facebook</a> is rolling out a feature that<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/08/facebook-begins-auto-grouping-colleagues-school-mates-and-local-friends-into-smart-lists/" target="_blank"> puts friends into groups</a>.  That is something I saw coming: celebrities and politicians have had to convert from being merely people to pages in order to continue attracting followers.</p> <p>That is not all; conversation streams on the newsfeed on wall were definitely getting saturated with updates, so much that some friends fell out and were no longer visisble in these conversation streams.</p> <p>While Facebook's update is welcome, it will have little or no impact. The only way to make the groups system relevant is by regionalizing them: let all my Facebook friends in South Africa be in one group, the same for those in the UK, Brazil and others.</p> <p>With such a plan, Facebook can once again be seen as a superb marketing platform that targets audiences by location.  Some will argue that Facebook ads can be customized to target customers by geography. That is not enough; let those ads be targeted at audiences in those countries.</p> <p>It is a challenge Linkedin will have to work on to bring more relevance to the jobs network. And that is a different subject altogether.</p> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/facebook-groups-is-good-news-for-online-marke">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/facebook-groups-is-good-news-for-online-marke#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/Iml_ldPAaus" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/facebook-groups-is-good-news-for-online-marke Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:05:00 -0700 Steve Jobs' F-Word http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/kJW8cs_sLb4/steve-jobs-f-word http://mutimba.posterous.com/steve-jobs-f-word <p> <p>Markets are sensitive to any information, be it corporate or otherwise.</p> <p>And the announcement by Apple CEO that he was leaving the reigns of a company he steered to profitability a few years ago riled markets, wiping over $50 billion dollars off the Standard and Poor's index.</p> <p>Mr. Jobs was casual in his choice of words; he made demands to the board that were framed as mere requests (the company accepted both). He asked Apple to make Tim Cook CEO. Mr. Cook is the company's Chief Operating Officer.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63428468@N06/6082172214/"><img class="posterous_download_image" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6194/6082172214_b01359e66c.jpg" border="0" height="419" width="486" /></a>]</p> <p>He also asked Apple to make him Chairman.</p> <p>This is an day Mr. Jobs looked forward to. <span style="line-height: 19px;">"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know," Mr. Jobs said in his resignation letter. <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904875404576528981250892702.html?mod=WSJ_hp_us_mostpop_read" target="_blank">"Unfortunately, that day has come.</a>"</span></p> <p>The blogosphere suddenly exploded with Mr. Jobs announcement. My Facebook newsfeed, once a repository of news updates about the situation in Libya, was now filled with news about Mr. Jobs resignation.</p> <p>Even Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's whereabouts became irrelevant; what mattered was that Mr. Jobs had said his 'F' word, the farewell.</p> <p>From the Wall Street Journal's AllThingsD to TechCrunch, news was not news until it mentioned Steve Jobs.</p> <p>Such is the end of the career of an iconic man whose innovations transformed the PC business. And this is what it means to be Steve Jobs: you bring the world to a standstill at a time of your choosing.</p> <p>My advice to him: refuse to retake your job even when the share price tanks! Play the background role that you have promised to play. Leave Tim Cook alone; let him manage successes and failures alone.</p> <p>Goodbye!</p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/steve-jobs-f-word">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/steve-jobs-f-word#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/kJW8cs_sLb4" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/steve-jobs-f-word Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:54:00 -0700 A Tab Running on Android, This Time From the Democratic Republic of Congo http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/UO44wKv1F_k/a-tab-running-on-android-this-time-from-the-d http://mutimba.posterous.com/a-tab-running-on-android-this-time-from-the-d <p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">As a continent, Africa is knwon for its share of despots and tyrants. According to Professor John Gray, an authority on European Thought at the <a href="http://www2.lse.ac.uk/home.aspx" target="_blank">London School of Economics and Political Science</a>, says in much of Africa, few, if any countries at all, represent a modern state.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">His conclusion came after the attacks on the World Trade Center in the United States. In Professor John Gray's opinion, <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/797603" target="_blank">"t<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">he ideal of a universal civilisation is a recipe for unending conflict, and it is time it was given up.”</span></a></span></p> <p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; font-size: small;">Despite that, Africa is keen to position itself as an economic powerhouse, able to produce, feed and supply its people with innovative ideas and technology.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; font-size: small;">[</span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63428468@N06/6068241331/"><img class="posterous_download_image" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6075/6068241331_4732d11d0d.jpg" border="0" height="282" width="500" /></a>]</p> <p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; font-size: small;">It is against this background that one wonders how a tablet with an Android operating system 'designed and engineered in Congo' cannot be considered to have been made there.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; font-size: small;">Infact, the idea of products being 'designed and engineered' in a certain country should not be frowned upon because the <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cg.html" target="_blank">Democratic Republic of Congo</a> (DRC) is at the door with an innovation: Barum tyres are famous for being 'engineered in Germany'</span></p> <p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">For example,<a href="http://www.samsung.de/de/default.aspx" target="_blank"> Samsung</a>, a Korean conglomerate, can outsource spares for its Galaxy Tab and have it assembled in London or Johannesburg or wherever it chooses.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Mike Arrington, the founder of the technology and news blog <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com" target="_blank">TechCrunch</a>,had a similar idea, launching a 'CrunchPad' in association with a Singaporean company called Fusion Garage.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Despite hitting the deadpool, the product would still have been credited to the Americans. In the case of the DRC, a storm is already brewing about whether they are the makers of the Android tablet.  A company called <a href="http://next.vmkcongo.com/genesis-no-comment" target="_blank">VMK Congo is leading the idea and innovation.</a></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Having a Congolese company design and engineer a product should not be an issue: they have already originated an idea.</span></p> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/a-tab-running-on-android-this-time-from-the-d">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/a-tab-running-on-android-this-time-from-the-d#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/UO44wKv1F_k" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/a-tab-running-on-android-this-time-from-the-d Fri, 19 Aug 2011 07:40:00 -0700 Whatever Happened to Simplicity! My Posterous Feeds Won't Work http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/501Dz7-T8gE/whatever-happened-to-simplicity-my-posterous http://mutimba.posterous.com/whatever-happened-to-simplicity-my-posterous <p> <p>As a blogging platform, Posterous is user friendly.</p> <p>In addition to that, it offers the much needed simplicity. At a cost, I would say, especially if your intention is to reach a large audiences via the easiest means and platforms possible.</p> <p>And it is the reason I am still at Posterous. Now comes the hard part: my feeds to Facebook and Twitter.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63428468@N06/6059358764/"><img class="posterous_download_image" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6200/6059358764_5380e90795.jpg" border="0" height="357" width="500" /></a>]</p> <p>While I have no problem with feeds from The Art of the Conversation not hitting my Twitter walls, I get particulat when the same happens to Facebook, where my content has chances of reaching a wider readership.</p> <p>And I hope Facebook engineers and Mark Zuckerberg, in their quest to make the world a better place, let feeds flow without hindrace.</p> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/whatever-happened-to-simplicity-my-posterous">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/whatever-happened-to-simplicity-my-posterous#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/501Dz7-T8gE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/whatever-happened-to-simplicity-my-posterous Fri, 19 Aug 2011 06:49:00 -0700 Ivory Coast Leader Alassane Quattara to Speak at Investment Summit http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/Y2ge6gKQUdQ/ivory-coast-leader-alassane-quattara-to-speak http://mutimba.posterous.com/ivory-coast-leader-alassane-quattara-to-speak <p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Ivory Coast<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12934834" target="_blank"> president Alassane Quattara</a> will speak at an investment summit in New York. The summit will take place alongside the UN General Assembly scheduled for September 26, 2011.</span></p> <p /> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">According to the Africa Investor website, among the summit's objectives is to "<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;">allow investment professionals, capital markets experts and corporate leaders to engage each other on a subject that is going to determine the growth in regional equity capital markets."</span></span></div> <p /> <div><span style="background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">The summit will attract players from the financial sector including hedge funds, insurance firms and investment advisory firms.</span></span></span></div> <p /> <div><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Following the country's controversial elections that saw Laurant Gbagbo step aside, the country suspended payments on its $2.3 billion dollar bond expiring, citing the impacts of internal civil strife on economic stability.</span></span></div> <p /> <blockquote> <div><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">It is now apparent that the Republic of Cote D'Ivoire will be unable to make any of its scheduled payments of external debt due in 2011 to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Club" target="_blank">Paris Club </a>or holders of its $2,332,149,000.00 Step-Up bonds due 2032 said the Minister of Economy and Finance, Charles Koffi Dirby, in a communique released July 8, 2011.</span></span></div> </blockquote> <p /> <div><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Members of the Paris Club and other bondholders will be keen on hearing what Mr. Quattara has to say. </span></span></div> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/ivory-coast-leader-alassane-quattara-to-speak">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/ivory-coast-leader-alassane-quattara-to-speak#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/Y2ge6gKQUdQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/ivory-coast-leader-alassane-quattara-to-speak Mon, 15 Aug 2011 06:09:00 -0700 Motorola Mobility Agrees to Go for $12.5 billion Dollars. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/G4mQnPnHXvc/motorola-mobility-agrees-to-go-for-125-billio http://mutimba.posterous.com/motorola-mobility-agrees-to-go-for-125-billio <p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">In a move designed to 'supercharge' Google's Android mobile phone software, the search giant Google is acquiring Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion dollars. The acquisition is being pitched to audiences as Google's commitment to maintain the Android platform as an open one.</span></p> <div> <p /> <div><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; background-color: #fafafa;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">"<a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/supercharging-android-google-to-acquire.html" target="_blank">Motorola’s total commitment to Android in mobile devices is one of many reasons that there is a natural fit between our two companies,</a>" according to Larry Page, Google's CEO.</span></span></div> <p /> <div><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; background-color: #fafafa;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">For those skeptical about Google's move, bear in mind that Google's mantra is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_be_evil">'Don't be Evil'</a></span></span></div> <p /> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/motorola-mobility-agrees-to-go-for-125-billio">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/motorola-mobility-agrees-to-go-for-125-billio#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/G4mQnPnHXvc" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/motorola-mobility-agrees-to-go-for-125-billio Sun, 07 Aug 2011 06:06:00 -0700 Give Christine Lagarde a Chance to Lead http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/Wfulki1786U/give-christine-lagarde-a-chance-to-lead http://mutimba.posterous.com/give-christine-lagarde-a-chance-to-lead <p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Standard and Poor's, the ratings, on Friday downgraded the US from its coveted AAA-rating bringing it down to AA+, leaving Washington looking for answers to how to respond to the news.</span></p> <p /> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">The news came two days after President Barack Obama signed<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/01/debt-deal-agreed-concern-congress"> a $2.4 trillion debt dea</a>l.</span></div> <p /> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">And now comes another development: that Christine Lagarde, the former French finance minister chosen to succeeded <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominique_Strauss-Kahn">Dominique Strauss-Kahn</a>. A French court has ordered for a thorough investigation into Ms. Lagarde's actions during her tenure at the finance ministry.</span></div> <p /> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">The case revolves around a businessman and former politician <span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; background-color: #ffffff;">Bernard Tapie. </span></span></div> <div> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; background-color: #ffffff;">Mr. Tapie sold Adidas, a German sportswear company to a group of investors that included Credit Lyonnais for </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; background-color: #ffffff;">€</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; background-color: #ffffff;">300m</span></span></div> <p /> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; background-color: #ffffff;">[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63428468@N06/6017334929/"><img class="posterous_download_image" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6136/6017334929_0242c8d110.jpg" border="0" height="500" width="363" /></a>]</span></span></div> <p /> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; background-color: #ffffff;">The following year,<a href="http://www.lcl.com/fr/"> Credit Lyonnais</a> re-sold the company for </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; background-color: #ffffff;">€710m. Mr Tapie claimed that he was cheated and sued. His connections with Ms. Lagarde paid off: in 2005, a Paris court ruled that the the government and Credit Lyonnais should pay Mr Tapie over </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; background-color: #ffffff;">€135m in compensation.</span></span></div> </div> <p /> <div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">While Ms. Lagarde deserves to be investigated, I think most of these actions do not bode well for a frail and fragile world economy whose condition is already threatened by tanking credit ratings and loss of investor confidence</span><span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">.</span></span></div> <p /> <div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">If any lesson was learnt from the<a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/dominique-strass-kahn-sex-scandal-let-the-soc"> DSK scandal</a>, it is that everyone brings baggage into their jobs. Ms. Lagarde should be allowed to get on with her job.</span></span></div> <p /> <div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">As the debate rages over whether the action by Standard & Poors to downgrade America's credit rating was warranted, the loss of confidence in the markets has wiped off over $4.3 trillion of value from global equities, according to <a href="https://www.macquarie.com.au/edge/article/MARKET/11dbed63b2e91310VgnVCM100000c502890aRCRD/">Macquarie Group</a>, the investment and advisory services firm</span></span></div> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/give-christine-lagarde-a-chance-to-lead">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/give-christine-lagarde-a-chance-to-lead#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/Wfulki1786U" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/give-christine-lagarde-a-chance-to-lead Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:02:00 -0700 A Question No One Ever Asks: What if Google Acquires Facebook? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/ueNrelS9EoY/a-question-no-one-ever-asks-about-facebook-wh http://mutimba.posterous.com/a-question-no-one-ever-asks-about-facebook-wh <p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">They are games Silicon Valley giants play. They are games no one knows whom they play them with, but this certainly looks to be amongst themselves but not with users. These games involve launching products with little or no fanfare at all.</span><p /> <span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">June 27 was Google's day for the launch of<a href="http://www.plus.google.com/" target="_blank"> Google Plus</a>, a social product with alot of features and attributes aimed at bringing the search engine giant to the same level as Facebook in terms of social.</span></p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63428468@N06/5905351105/" title="mark zuckerberg,facebook by LusakaVille, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6058/5905351105_982213f7ab.jpg" height="189" alt="mark zuckerberg,facebook" width="267" /></a><p /> <span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Sparks, Huddle, Hangouts: These are the words  Google is using to bring it's community of<a href="http://www.gmail.com/" target="_blank"> Gmail</a> users to its social networking platform.</span><p /> <span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Since the launch, the media, from blogs to the mainstream media, is abuzz with talk of Mark Zuckerberg being on Google Plus, as if being on the network amounted to 'being evil,' to borrow <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_be_evil" target="_blank">Google's informal corporate slogan!</a></span><p /> <span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Peoples' fascinations with Mark Zuckerberg's presence on Facebook have surprised Mark as well. “Why are people so surprised that I’d have a Google account?” he asks a <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/Scobleizer/status/87321128783192064" target="_blank">now popular tweet </a>with Web 2.0 supremo Robert Scoble of the <a href="http://www.scobleizer.com/" target="_blank">Scobleizer</a> fame</span>.<p /> <span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">One question no one is asking is 'what would happen if Team Google decided bidding for Facebook is an achievable gamble? When you control a huge share of the search market, standing at just over 65 per cent, </span><a href="http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2080003/May-2011-Search-Engine-Market-Share-from-comScore-Compete-Hitwise" target="_blank" style="font-family: georgia,serif;">according to recent estimates</a><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">.</span><p /> <span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Soon after the Facebook, all of us will awe ourselves about how foolish we were to think Mark would avoid swimming in what is being constantly seen as a tech bubble by industry analysts and observes.</span><p /> <span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Like you, Mark understands that being on Google Plus is not only being tech-savvy, but is also part of being human! </span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/a-question-no-one-ever-asks-about-facebook-wh">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/a-question-no-one-ever-asks-about-facebook-wh#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/ueNrelS9EoY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/a-question-no-one-ever-asks-about-facebook-wh Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:37:36 -0700 Nigerians Turn to Facebook for Money Scams http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/_BK2BbQ1zCs/nigerians-turn-to-facebook-for-money-scams http://mutimba.posterous.com/nigerians-turn-to-facebook-for-money-scams <p> <span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">It could be that Nigerians are fed up with fake email scams. So much so that the only available option is Facebook. And I was a victim last night. A man going by the name of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002483201931">Dada Aluko</a> (even his name sounds fake!) sent me a Facebook email, saying he was contacting me because<a href="http://www.facebook.com/?sk=inbox&action=read&tid=c5829cf0d06b417d8274870e0c589ba5"> "u bear desame last name wit my late client"</a></span><p /> <span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">And he came as close to being open as possible, offering his phone number and over $8 million dollars.</span><p /><br /><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex; font-family: georgia,serif;"> I felt 2 contact u becos u bear desame last name wit my late client and i will to strike a deal wit u worth $8 million,call me for further detail +2347055734471 Mr Dada Aluko (<a href="mailto:dadaaluko5@yahoo.com">dadaaluko5@yahoo.com</a>)</blockquote><div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">He did not seem to understand how thirsty I was for free money! I emailed back saying if only he could send a million dollars, he would make my day. To this hour, Mr. Aluko has not been in touch. Expect more updates as soon as I hear from him!</span><br /> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/nigerians-turn-to-facebook-for-money-scams">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/nigerians-turn-to-facebook-for-money-scams#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/_BK2BbQ1zCs" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/nigerians-turn-to-facebook-for-money-scams Sat, 18 Jun 2011 06:08:10 -0700 Chiluba, the Father of Zambia's Economic Liberalization, Is Dead http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/kxoNAWw51fY/chiluba-the-father-of-zambias-economic-libera http://mutimba.posterous.com/chiluba-the-father-of-zambias-economic-libera <p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Former<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13820714"> Zambian president Frederick Chiluba</a>, best known for his love for economic liberalization and the free market economic policies, has died.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">He died of a heart attack, his spokesman said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">He came to power in 1991, promising to create jobs and opportunities for Zambians, only to leave a bitter taste of leadership characterized by poverty and unemployment.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[</span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63428468@N06/5845268526/"><img class="posterous_download_image" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3213/5845268526_1f1e17c88c.jpg" border="0" height="192" width="216" /></a>]</p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">With copper prices at their lowest and public opinion against his predecessor's regime, Chiluba won easy backing from the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bretton_Woods_system"> Bretton Woods</a> institutions. He came to power at a time when the World Bank and IMF when 'jump-starting' the economy. He rode on success driven by low copper prices that made Dr. Kenneth Kaunda unpopular.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Those loans did not achieve their intended purpose as the economy did not recover. By 1990, GDP had fallen by about 30%. The <a href="http://www.imf.org">IMF </a>and <a href="http://www.worldbank.org">World Bank </a>came in with a prescription of 'global' policies, asking the government to privatize industries, adopt a market based economy and liberalization.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">There has been a strong feeling that Frederick Chiluba adhered blindly to economic policies dictated by multi-lateral institutions and donor countries without understanding the effect on the economy at large.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">During Chiluba’s reign, total formal employment fell about 200,000 and per capita income deteriorated by 15%.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">His administration was characterized by high levels of corruption, with most of his lieutenants being convicted except Chiluba himself.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In August 2009,<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zambia/6044417/Zambias-ex-president-Frederick-Chiluba-cleared-of-theft.html"> a court cleared him of all the corruption charges</a>, much to the disappointment of donors, especially the British government that had pumped over a million pounds into the fight against corruption.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> </span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/chiluba-the-father-of-zambias-economic-libera">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/chiluba-the-father-of-zambias-economic-libera#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/kxoNAWw51fY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/chiluba-the-father-of-zambias-economic-libera Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:22:00 -0700 Is the Mouse Really Dead, Or Are We Merely Exaggerating? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/Rak-dCNv1-E/is-the-mouse-really-dead-or-are-we-merely-exa http://mutimba.posterous.com/is-the-mouse-really-dead-or-are-we-merely-exa <p> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">The<a href="http://allthingsd.com/category/conferences/"> AllThingsD</a> conference is popular for bringing together technology geeks, technology company executives and enthusiasts as well. And of course, the media is no exception. <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/27/the-mouse-is-dead/">Back in 2007</a>, <a href="www.techcrunch.com" target="_blank">TechCrunch</a>, a technology website, declared that 'the mouse is dead.'</span></div> <p /> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63428468@N06/5831557429/"><img class="posterous_download_image" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5277/5831557429_55238a960f.jpg" border="0" height="282" width="500" /></a>]</span></div> <p /> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">It followed with a similar<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/03/windows-ate-the-mouse/" target="_blank"> post recently</a>, asking if people think ''the mouse isn't dead.'' It seems<a href="http://www.crunchbase.com/person/mg-siegler" target="_blank"> MG Siegler</a>, who also writes a blog <a href="http://parislemon.com/" target="_blank">ParisLemon</a>, is totally obsessed with with Apple's  iOS. He says "<span style="color: #272727; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">I can understand that after Apple put a gun to the head of the mouse with the release of the Magic Trackpad, people were skeptical."</span></span></div> <p /> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #272727; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Without saying anything to anyone directly,<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303745304576365523329671178.html?mod=huawei_atdjr" target="_blank"> Steve Sinofsky</a>, </span><span style="line-height: 19px;">president of the Windows and Windows Live division of <a href="http://www.microsoft.com" target="_blank">Microsoft Corp</a>., added his voice to the death of the mouse, emphasizing that the mouse is far from dead.</span></span></div> <p /> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">He stressed the </span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">value of the mouse and keyboard in the world of touch-screen computers.</span></span></div> <p /> <blockquote> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">"It's really important to not throw the baby out with the bath water. We all love interacting with apps on our touch phones, on small screens. But you have to keep in mind that the mouse and the keyboard, they're just tools. They're not evil, in and of themselves. They're not a pain in the neck, in and of themselves. They actually help magnify and amplify the efforts of your hands. A mouse has precision that your finger can't approach."</span></div> <p /> </blockquote> <div><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Well, folks, join me in wishing the mouse a long life!</span></div> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/is-the-mouse-really-dead-or-are-we-merely-exa">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/is-the-mouse-really-dead-or-are-we-merely-exa#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/Rak-dCNv1-E" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/is-the-mouse-really-dead-or-are-we-merely-exa Sat, 11 Jun 2011 08:30:00 -0700 Hillary Clinton Closes the AGOA Forum http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/HnrvemXWCK4/hillary-clinton-closes-the-agoa-forum http://mutimba.posterous.com/hillary-clinton-closes-the-agoa-forum <p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Well, that was so quick! Within an hour of landing at the Lusaka International Airport, Mrs Clinton was already delivering a speech on how to better to strengthen trade ties with the US. In addition  to that, </span><span class="messageBody" style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Secretary Clinton announced that the United States will contribute $2 million to the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP). The program is working to increase opportunities for women to participate in AGOA and provides training on business topics, including how to obtain financing.<p />[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63428468@N06/5821476118/"><img class="posterous_download_image" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2651/5821476118_3ceb3e9f2c.jpg" border="0" height="304" width="500" /></a>]<p /> After taking a little walk around the exhibitors stand at Arcades Shopping Mall, I fell deeply for these Zambian businesses who are trying their best to make a mark on the international trade arena. Apart from trade barriers, there are bureaucratic barriers associated with product classification to challenges such as branding and marketing abroad.<p /> As if all that were not enough, there is the competition from and by multinationals who have a local presence, understand the business scene and challenges of penetrating markets.<p />Though she did not caution her hosts about challenges ahead in the partnership, she cam closer to doing so when she proclaimed that "A business is only as successful as the environment in which it operates. ... A strong economy requires a supportive business climate that empowers every entrepreneur.” </span><span class="messageBody"><p /><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">That is easier than done!</span><p /> </span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/hillary-clinton-closes-the-agoa-forum">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/hillary-clinton-closes-the-agoa-forum#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/HnrvemXWCK4" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/hillary-clinton-closes-the-agoa-forum Sun, 29 May 2011 09:52:00 -0700 Inspiration from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/nhy_wwqlhNE/inspiration-from-president-ellen-johnson-sirl http://mutimba.posterous.com/inspiration-from-president-ellen-johnson-sirl <p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was on May 26 a <a href="http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/05/a-difficult-journey-a-brighter-future/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fb-wall">Commencement speaker at Harvard Kennedy School.</a> A Harvard alumna, she spoke with inspiration about the power of dreams:</span><p /> <br /></p> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc; padding-left: 1ex; font-family: georgia,serif;">“If your dreams do not scare you, they’re not big enough,” Sirleaf said. “The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them. … If you start off with a small dream, you may not have much left when it is fulfilled because, along the way, life will … make demands on you. I am, however, bullish about the future of our world because of everyone in this Yard and because of those who graduated today.”</blockquote> <div><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;" /><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Addressing graduates later, Harvard President Drew Faust spoke of the ..''the depth of the challenges we face and the power of knowledge.'' </span><p /> <span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first woman president of an African nation, replacing Charles Taylor, who was indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity</span>.</div> <p /> <div>Mr. Charles Taylor stepped down in 2003. A transitional government steered the country to elections following a civil war that killed over 250,000 people.</div></div> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/inspiration-from-president-ellen-johnson-sirl">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/inspiration-from-president-ellen-johnson-sirl#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/nhy_wwqlhNE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/inspiration-from-president-ellen-johnson-sirl Thu, 26 May 2011 10:42:00 -0700 Zedleaks: Nafissatou Diallo is the DSK girl http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/m9BuxmcfCFs/zedleaks-nafissatou-diallo-is-the-dsk-girl http://mutimba.posterous.com/zedleaks-nafissatou-diallo-is-the-dsk-girl <p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Since the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his subsequent house arrest, alot of speculation has been mounting about what the maid surrounding the controversy looks like. My friends at <a href="zedleaks.com">Zedleaks</a>, a Zambian news, entertainment and gossip site, think they have the answer.</span></p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58402145@N08/5762502460/" title="DSK, IMF, Nafissatou Diallo by MMazwi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3367/5762502460_12d8734c2a_s.jpg" height="75" alt="DSK, IMF, Nafissatou Diallo" width="75" /></a></p> <p><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;" /><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">According to them, DSK's victim is Nafissatou Diallo, a Guinean woman who followed her merchant husband to the USA in 1998. Not much is being said about where Zedleaks got the story.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/zedleaks-nafissatou-diallo-is-the-dsk-girl">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/zedleaks-nafissatou-diallo-is-the-dsk-girl#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/m9BuxmcfCFs" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/zedleaks-nafissatou-diallo-is-the-dsk-girl Mon, 16 May 2011 09:42:00 -0700 Dominique Strass-Kahn Sex Scandal: Let the Socialists Find a New Leader http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~3/_WKpdcpxA08/dominique-strass-kahn-sex-scandal-let-the-soc http://mutimba.posterous.com/dominique-strass-kahn-sex-scandal-let-the-soc <p> <p>It is such a sad spectatcle for the <a href="http://www.imf.org">International Monetary Fund</a>: faced with debt and credit <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/business/16fund.html">crises in Greece and other European nations, </a>it now has to live with the demise of it's erstwhile chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn.<p /> DSK, as he's fondly known in France,was arrested on Saturday by detectives from the New York Police Department as he was about to fly off Air France following allegations of sexually-assaulting a maid in $3,000-a-night suite in Manhattan. Mr. Strauss-Kahn has shocked and awed the French citizenry.</p> <p><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58402145@N08/5726522165/" title="DSK, IMF by MMazwi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5304/5726522165_d3c8102442.jpg" height="277" alt="DSK, IMF" width="400" /></a></p> <p><br />Mr. Strauss-Kahn was alone when he entered the $3,000-a-night-suite at The Sofitel Friday afternoon. The 32-year-old maid, thinking the room was unoccupied, entered the suite early Saturday, only to see a man emerge out of the bathroom and chasing her down the hallway, and pulled her down into a bedroom and sexually assaulted her.<br /> With such allegations, Mr. Strauss-Kahn may rethink candidature for the Socialist Party. Fellow Socialists, citing contradictions in the investigation, have said they will stick to the campaign calendar.</p> <p>For its part, the International Monetary Fund has issued a statement saying<a href="http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2011/pr11179.htm" target="_blank"> "The IMF remains fully functioning and operational"</a></p> <p>Mr. Strauss-Kahn may soon discover he is not alone in this. In October 2009, Frederic Mitterand, nephew of a Socialist former president, revealed that<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/6270217/Frederic-Mitterrand-admitted-to-paying-for-sex-with-young-boys-in-Thailand.html"> he 'paid 'boys' for sex in brothels in Thailand.'</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58402145@N08/5762005384/" title="Mitterand, Frederic by MMazwi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5027/5762005384_1bc08181b8.jpg" height="288" alt="Mitterand, Frederic" width="460" /></a></p> <p>Mr. Mitterand attracted attention to himself by strongly defending<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Polanski"> Roman Polanski</a>, a film director who was detained in Switzerland in connection with an outstanding conviction for unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl in the US in 1977</p> </p> <p><a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/dominique-strass-kahn-sex-scandal-let-the-soc">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://mutimba.posterous.com/dominique-strass-kahn-sex-scandal-let-the-soc#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MutimbasPosterous/~4/_WKpdcpxA08" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1762701/DSC04954.JPG http://posterous.com/users/KDDLSt6YmJ Mutimba Mazwi Mutimba Mutimba Mazwi http://mutimba.posterous.com/dominique-strass-kahn-sex-scandal-let-the-soc