The Bombay High Court issued sharp criticism on Friday towards Indians who leave trash in public places in their country while adhering to cleanliness rules abroad. The court noted that the same people who 'throw garbage on the road without batting an eye' in India invariably put 'even a small chocolate wrapper' into a bin overseas.
The court emphasized that maintaining cleanliness is a fundamental duty and called for strict measures against violators.
The Mutiusinazita initiative is a community program operating in eastern Zimbabwe that helps preserve traditional crop varieties and strengthens farmers' resilience to climate change. This seed bank unites 285 participants and stores seeds of traditional small grains that farmers can use during droughts and other challenging growing periods.
The project is based on local agricultural methods where families traditionally selected and saved the best seeds for future harvests. Nyadzi Mupungi, Secretary of the Mutiusinazita Seed Bank, noted that storing seeds in the bank protects them from damage, unlike storage at households where they are vulnerable to pests and extreme weather.
Furthermore, the project opens up new income opportunities by allowing farmers to sell seeds to other producers. Seed containers are labeled with the producer's name and contact details. A nursery area for indigenous tree species has also been established within the community, which aids in biodiversity restoration and generates additional income.
As climate change leads to rising temperatures and more frequent dry spells, traditional grain crops are becoming increasingly important. Agronomist Kundai Zwarai emphasized that these crops have a better chance of survival even under drought and heat due to their high tolerance.
Community leaders assert that the seed bank acts as a buffer against recurring droughts, as farmers can take seeds when crops fail and then replenish stocks when conditions improve. Lenton Nechivove, Deputy Chairperson of the community group, stated that even with successive droughts, the community will not run out of resources because it can continuously replenish supplies from the bank after recovery.
Agricultural experts insist that preserving local seeds must go hand-in-hand with protecting traditional knowledge related to the production, selection, and storage of these seeds. They call for more detailed documentation of these practices to help future generations adapt to climate change and preserve Zimbabwe's agricultural heritage.
The Namibian Cabinet approved a national policy regulating the exploration and extraction of minerals in ecologically sensitive and protected areas. Concurrently, the African Union's (AU) initiative on sustainable mineral resource development and value addition was supported.
These decisions were made during the cabinet meeting held on July 28, as stated in a press release from the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology published on Friday.
Minister of Information and Communications Technology Emma Theophilus stated in the release that the goal of the new policy is to promote integrated and sustainable exploration and extraction methods that preserve environmental integrity and prevent the degradation of particularly sensitive territories.
Furthermore, the cabinet approved the signing of the charter of the African Mineral Development Centre (AMDC)—a specialized AU agency designed to promote cooperation in the mining sector and the sustainable development of Africa's mineral resources.
Theophilus noted that the decision empowers the Minister of International Relations and Trade of Namibia to sign this charter on behalf of the government, subject to subsequent ratification by parliament.
The cabinet emphasized that AMDC is authorized to implement the African vision for the mining industry—the AU's policy framework that seeks to transform the continent's mining sector by stimulating value addition, industrialization, and broader socio-economic development through mineral resources.
Mineral extraction is one of Namibia's most important economic sectors, as the country produces minerals such as uranium, diamonds, gold, and zinc.
