In the United States, rumors are circulating that the COVID vaccine is the “mark of the beast.” This apocalyptic biblical term is from Revelation 13 and is usually interpreted as being attached to Satan and subsequently diverging from God. Additionally, people regardless of religious background frequently encounter the question – does the COVID-19 signify “the end of the earth?”
Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, announced that it will hold a round of weekly seminars titled, “Testimony on Prophecy and Fulfillment of Revelation, God’s New Covenant” from October 18th to December 27th.
The seminars, broadcasting live on YouTube, will provide explanation of prophecies recorded from every chapter of Revelation based on the 5W1H (who, what, when, where, why, how) method. The lecturers include Chairman Lee Man-hee, who has said that he is a witness who saw and heard all the events of the book physically fulfilled in the real world (Revelation 22:16).
Previously, the SCJ Word Seminar held in August attracted 1,700 pastors and 28,000 people globally.
“The number of participants at this time reflects their interest and effort to understand the words of Revelation consistently with the words of the rest of the books of the Bible,” said Mr. Kim Shin-chang, General Director of the International Mission Department of Shincheonji Church.
The Shincheonji Church also added that the book of Revelation is written in parables and has not been explained through the real world, but instead only through human thoughts and non-biblical speculative theories which has misguided believers and instigated social disorder. The church also emphasizes that understanding the true meaning of the book of Revelation is to see how the prophecies expressed in parables have been physically fulfilled in the world today according to the Bible.
When the first Covid-19 vaccines landed in the Rwandan capital Kigali on March 3rd, the country was ready.
Within an hour, the vaccines reached the health ministry’s central warehouse, where vehicles from the country’s 47 district hospitals were waiting with fridges on board. In a deployment that had already been tested and tweaked, the trucks fanned out across Rwanda’s green hills and valleys, and army helicopters lifted off to deliver the vaccines to the most remote pockets.
“It was all about preparation. Our experience of preparing for outbreaks of contagious diseases in the past has helped us develop detailed crisis plans, which we were able to put into effect as soon as Covid-19 was identified,” says Dr Daniel Ngamije, Rwanda’s Minister of Health.
“Planning the logistical elements of our vaccine rollout, similarly, was set in motion shortly after a state of emergency was declared.”
On a continent where fewer than 5 per cent of people are fully vaccinated, Rwanda’s vaccine rollout stands out as a success, not just in Africa but by any global comparison. In a Covid Performance Index compiled by the Lowy Institute, Rwanda ranked 7th in the world.
It’s not a competition, Dr Ngamije insists. “We are all part of the same fight to defeat this pandemic, and given the interconnectedness of our continent, we are not safe until everyone in Africa is safe.”
Nevertheless, Rwanda’s experience could provide lessons for other African nations, both in their response to Covid-19 and to future pandemics.
“One of the important things is that our vaccine programme was not born in the time of Covid. From the central planning, the warehousing, logistics and transport to the communities – the whole supply chain – the foundations were already there,” says Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, Director General of the Rwanda Biomedical Center, which coordinates the rollout.
“We just had to strengthen them because not only were Covid vaccines coming in big numbers, we also had other vaccination programmes for children that were continuing,” he explains.
As well as preparing regular refrigerators used for other vaccines, Rwanda also purchased ultra-low temperature freezers able to store the Pfizer vaccine at -70 degrees Celsius, becoming the first African country to use Pfizer’s doses that require ultra-cold storage.
Without the resources to front up funds to make large pre-orders, many African countries had to stand by last year as the world’s richest countries reserved doses to vaccinate their populations against Covid-19 several times over.
Rwanda, like most African nations, has received supplies from the vaccine-sharing facility COVAX. But when those supplies dried up in April – as vaccines were diverted to combat India’s massive infection wave – Rwanda cut deals directly with manufacturers Pfizer and AstraZenca to secure 4 million doses, says Health Minister Dr Ngamije.
Once on the tarmac, the shots reached people’s arms within hours. After the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, the administration of President Paul Kagame prides itself on efficiency and technological expertise.
“We have a saying here that we don’t store vaccines in fridges or warehouses, we store vaccines in people’s arms,” says Dr Nsanzimana.
Known as The Land of a Thousand Hills for its lush, mountainous terrain, Rwanda deployed “helicopters from day one and we had purchased vehicles for each of the district hospitals, so they could transport vaccines overland to the health centres,” he says.
First in line were the elderly and most vulnerable, followed by jabs for those most exposed to infection – key workers, moto-taxi drivers and hospitality staff. Next came a mass campaign across the capital city.
“Kigali has been the most significant hub for transmission,” says Dr Ngamije. “By vaccinating over 90 per cent of adults in the city, we can reduce transmissions and protect the entire nation.”
On a continent where misinformation and hesitancy around the Covid-19 vaccine is rife, again Rwanda has trodden its own path.
Building on trust built over years of routine vaccinations for children, Rwanda mobilised everyone from heads of households and village elders to district and provincial leaders to disseminate accurate information on the Covid jab, says Dr Ndoungou Salla Ba, the World Health Organisation’s Representative in Rwanda.
Radio and TV channels hosted interviews and answered questions about the vaccine in local languages and daily updates are posted on social media.
“Our top leaders, the president himself, religious leaders, teachers, scientists and celebrities have also come forward to take the vaccine in public,” says Dr Nsanzimana of the RBC. “So in Rwanda we have not had the issue of vaccine hesitancy. Actually, it’s more about the pressure on us to bring in more vaccines.”
Rwanda’s target now is to vaccinate at least a third of its population by the end of the year, rising to 60 per cent next year. And it is laying the foundations for a longer term solution by positioning itself as Africa’s vaccine manufacturing centre.
“We hope that before long, and with support from the international community, we can become a hub for the home-grown vaccines that Africa needs in order to be self-sufficient in the fight against future pandemics and outbreaks of infectious diseases,” says Dr Ngamije.
The country is in talks to establish the first mRNA vaccine plant in Africa, with Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa on the shortlist for U.S. drugmaker Moderna’s planned factory.
“When the Rwandan government commits, it makes it happen,” concludes WHO’s Dr Salla. And the government is really committed to ending this pandemic.”
In June 2020, the Government of Rwanda launched a project to build 22,505 classrooms and 31, 932 latrines to reduce overcrowding and long walk for some students to reach schools.
They were built on funding of the World Bank in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda while citizens lend a hand through community work.
Habitegeko has said that construction of 4759 classrooms in Western Province nears completion.
“President of the Republic capacitated us to build 4759 classrooms in this province through performance contracts of the just ended year. We have not yet reached 100% by the time schools resumed but we are glad that 96,3% of targeted classrooms have been completed. The remaining 3.7% will also be completed in the near future,” he said.
Father Paulin Mushimiyimana, the head teacher of Saint Pierre Groupe Scolaire in Kivumu sector has said that eight newly constructed classrooms have helped to reduce overcrowding.
“New classrooms have played a significant role in reducing students’ overcrowding especially in Kivumu sector and the school I am heading. Before, a classroom would accommodate 70 students, a number which has reduced to 45 and 50. This shows how the classrooms were very much needed,” he said.
Allergology is branch of medical science that studies the causes and treatment of allergies according to Col Dr. Jean Chrisostome Kagimbana, the Chairperson and focal point of the National Association for Continuing Education in Allergology in Rwanda.
The Rwanda Military Hospital leadership that hosted the delegation that treated at least 150 special cases, welcomed the good initiative and wished a warm stay in Rwanda.
The delegation was officially welcomed by the RMH Commandant, Brig Gen Dr. Ephrem Rurangwa.
“This is the second time that the students and their lecturers from French-speaking University Diploma of Allergology select to do their long practical training of Allergology, the University chooses a francophone African region to visit every year. This is the second time they choose to train in Rwanda, the 4th intake also conducted their practical training of allergology in Rwanda in 2018,” he said.
Col Dr. Kagimbana a dermatologist and allergist at Rwanda Military Hospital lauded the services rendered to Rwandan patients by the visiting delegation.
“This is very useful to Rwanda. It is about training, providing special medical care to patients and capacity building of allergology service. They have treated 150 special cases in one week”.
Dr. Dumur Jean Pol from Claude Bernard University of Lyon and head of delegation said that everyone was satisfied with the week-long medical work done.
“We have been receiving and treating at least 40 cases a day in different medical services in pneumology, dermatology, in ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) allergy related diseases and in paediatrics as well”.
The practical seminar for DUFRAL Africa, takes place alternately in the capitals of one out of 17 African countries with appropriate conditions of safety for both teachers and students.
They were intercepted in Giheta village, Munini sector as they crossed into Rwanda from Burundi transporting sacks of clothes on bicycles.
Two of the suspects; Bosco Ntawigira, 38, and Emmanuel Kamanayo, 29, are the rightful owners of the clothes.
Five others are cyclists whom they had hired to transport the clothes.
At least five sacks of caguwa weighing 245kgs belong to Ntawigira while other 55kgs belong to Kamanayo.
According to the Southern region Police spokesperson, Superintendent of Police (SP) Theobald Kanamugire, the smugglers used a porous border to and from Burundi.
“Residents in Giheta reported people, who had crossed to Burundi through an illegal border to smuggle goods.
Police conducted an operation on Wednesday morning at about 8am and arrested all the seven smugglers including two owners of the clothes,” SP Kanamugire said.
SP Kanamugire lauded the impact of community policing through which information on the smuggling ring was shared and suspects arrested red-handed.
He further warned cyclists and taxi moto operators against facilitating smugglers.
The suspects were handed over to RIB at Munini station for further legal process while the seized clothes were taken to RRA Huye branch.
Under article 199 of the East African Community Management Act, which is also applicable in Rwanda, seized smuggled goods are auctioned.
{{Tax fraud}}
A taxpayer, who commits fraud, is subject to an administrative fine of one hundred percent (100%) of the evaded tax.
With exception to that penalty, the Tax Administration refers the case to the Prosecution service if the taxpayer voluntarily evaded such tax, like through the use of false accounts, falsified documents or any other act punishable by law.
In case of conviction, the taxpayer can be imprisoned for a period between six months and two years.
Article 87 of law N° 026/2019 of 18/09/2019 on tax procedures states that a person who, while intending tax evasion, commits one of the following acts: use of forged documents in his or her accounts; counterfeit and use of documents or materials of the tax administration used for taxation; hiding taxable goods or assets related to business; making a declaration indicating that the taxpayer has not made sales; changing the trade name by a person prosecuted in relation to tax; fraudulent registration of trade under the name of another person; hiding accounting documents from the tax administration or damaging them; use of forged accounting records; commits an offence of tax evasion.
Upon conviction, he or she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than two (2) years and not more than five (5) years.
The statement released last night shows that 61 people have caught the virus, five have recovered while five are critically ill.
A total of 1,712,081 people have been fully vaccinated while 2,865,234 received the first dose of COVID-19 since Rwanda began countrywide inoculation program on 5th March 2021.
Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Rwandans are urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.
Dr. Habumuremyi was released one day after he was granted pardon by President Paul Kagame pursuant to the powers conferred upon him by the Constitution.
The pardon granted to the former Premier was announced through a cabinet communiqué released on Wednesday 13th October 2021.
Dr. Habumuremyi was handed three-year sentence after he was found guilty of issuing unguaranteed cheques.
During his trial, he asked forgiveness from President of the Republic and later sent him an apology letter.
Speaking to IGIHE, Dr. Habumuremyi voiced appreciation to Kagame for granting him mercy.
“I thank him for pardoning me because I was not expecting it. I just knew that I apologized from the bottom of my heart. Lucky enough, he has forgiven me as the President of the Republic. I warmly welcomed the mercy with great happiness,” he said.
Dr. Habumuremyi said that the apology letter also carried a message asking for forgiveness from all Rwandans.
“The prerogative of mercy granted to me is of great significance. It will always be engraved on my memory,” he revealed.
The former Premier said that he learnt a lot from prison that he won’t commit similar faults that opened prison’s doors for him. He also pledged to work with other Rwandans to build the nation.
The former Prime Minister was arrested in July 2020 following the closure of the Christian University of Rwanda (CHUR) to which he was owner and legal representative.
The university management was also accused of not paying lecturers and other employees, which had prompted an audit from the Higher Education Council.
Before closure by the Ministry of Education, his university had campuses in Kigali and another one in Karongi District.
Alleged crimes were in connection to anomalies in the management of the university where he was said to have accumulated millions of francs in debts to different suppliers to his university. The university management was also accused of not paying lecturers and other employees.
Dr. Habumuremyi owned 60 percent of the university’s shares, while his son owned 30 percent and the Vice-Chancellor 10 percent.
He was charged alongside Charles Serushyana, a former accountant of the university, but he was later acquitted.
The clemency nullifies the three-year jail term and Rwf892 fine that Dr. Habumuremyi was handed by Nyarugenge Intermediate Court on 27th November 2020.
He will however have to clear all debts he owed to plaintiffs.
Dr. Habumuremyi has told IGIHE that he will abide by laws and respect court’s resolutions.
Dr. Habumuremyi’s lawyer has said that his client has approximately Rwf30 million in debts because some plaintiffs have already received payments.
Habumuremyi served as Prime Minister of Rwanda from 7th October 2011 until 24th July 2014. Since 2015, Habumuremyi has served as the chairman of Chancellery for Heroes, National Orders and Decoration of Honour prior to his arrest.
Dr. Habumuremyi was born in Ruhondo, Musanze district on 20th February 1961. He pursued studies in different countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), France and Burkina Faso.
The CPC was part of the 23rd EAPCCO Annual General Meeting and it was held under the theme: “Enhancing law enforcement strategies in combating transnational organized crimes in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.”
EAPCCO is a regional 14-member bloc established in 1998 to strengthen police cooperation and joint strategies, share crime-related information and harmonize laws to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies to combat transnational organized crime.
The CPC discussed measures to enhance regional capacity and cooperation in combating organized crime, including emerging terrorism trends and implications in the region, countering terrorism and violent extremism as well as reviewing the implementation of EAPCCO adopted resolutions.
It also looked at the status of EAPCCO Regional Counter Terrorism Centre of Excellence (CTCoE), adopted and signed the Mifugo Protocol and EAPCCO CTCoE Establishment Agreement.
The Mifugo Protocol elaborates strategies to prevent, combat and eradicate cattle rustling in Eastern Africa.
The EAPCCO member countries are Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, Comoros, DRC, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, Sudan, and Tanzania.
Kagame was speaking at the Global Business Forum Africa 2021 held in Dubai on Thursday 14th October 2021.
Despite the fact that COVID-19 brought unprecedented effects on African continent and the rest of the world, the President said that the pandemic is becoming more manageable as vaccine distribution improves globally.
“Travel and commerce are beginning to recover. However, we are not going back to the same economy that we knew in 2019. Some of the changes will be profound and lasting. The crisis in international shipping and transportation is already generating new thinking,” he noted.
As the world continues to recover, Kagame highlighted that manufacturing and supply chains will need to become more resilient, more local, and more technologically advanced and expressed optimism to make it possible through new innovations.
“Fourth Industrial Revolution innovations in artificial intelligence and 3D printing, for example, are making it possible to make products almost anywhere, at a competitive cost. Similarly, life-saving vaccines and other pharmaceuticals will increasingly be produced in a decentralized fashion, including in Rwanda, thanks to advances in engineering, and good partnerships with companies like BioNTech and others,” he said.
“These changes were already underway before the COVID-19 pandemic, but are now likely to accelerate,” added Kagame.
By the time the pandemic emerged, Kagame said that Africa was well-prepared in at least one important respect where the ‘African Continental Free Trade Area, which was decades in the making, had just entered its operational phase in July 2019’ as more efforts are underway.
“Africa is now the largest free trade area in the world, in terms of the number of countries, since the formation of the World Trade Organization. Last week, the 15th ratification of the African Medicines Agency treaty was deposited with the African Union, and the treaty will therefore come into force next month. The establishment of this body will be a game-changer for Africa’s ability to produce high-quality vaccines and medicines for our continent,” he noted.
Despite achieved milestone, the President highlighted that the progress of African economic integration will mean ‘more trade and investment between Africa and the rest of the world, not less’.
He pointed out an example of successful cooperation where the United Arab Emirates, and Dubai in particular, have long played a key role in linking Africa to the wider global economy noting that the inter-connectedness has been mutually beneficial ‘and we wish to continue to deepen those collaborations’.
Considering adverse effects of the pandemic to families, businesses and the anticipated journey to return to normalcy, Kagame also stressed the need to seize generated opportunities to strive for a better future.
“The Covid pandemic has been an extremely difficult period. Families and small businesses have experienced a great deal of loss. And while the worst may be behind us, the road back to normal is still long,” he affirmed.
“That is why we have a responsibility, amidst all this disruption, to maximize the strengths and assets that Africa does have. We must also strive to seize the new opportunities that have been generated to work with partners to build a more prosperous and cooperative future for all of us,” enthused Kagame.
The forum which took place from 13th to 14th October in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; GBF Africa offered businessmen and investors valuable insights and up-to-date information on a plethora of promising investment opportunities.
The forum also facilitates cooperation between business communities in Africa and the UAE to help African companies benefit from Dubai’s experience in building an integrated digital economy rooted in cutting-edge technologies.
During the exercise that began on Wednesday 13th October 2021 afternoon, the ministry donated notebooks, soaps, floor mats and roofing sheets to residents while Rwahi Health Center received a tent to be used during the ongoing inoculation program.
Donated 1145 roofing sheets are to be distributed to 54 vulnerable families and early childhood development center in the area.
The ministry also donated 220 kilograms of nails and 165 kgs of cables that will be used by residents to tighten roofs.
The heavy downpour destroyed 216 houses including residential houses, kitchens, buildings of a health center and fell off eight electric poles in Rulindo district.
The rain which poured down for about two hours ravaged buildings in the cells of Rutonde, Rubona and Kajangwe in Shyorongi sector of Rulindo district.
At the time, the mayor of Rulindo district, Emmanuel Kayiranga said that the assessment of damaged properties was ongoing.
“So far, we have registered a number of destroyed properties including two buildings of Rwahi Health Center, a kitchen at Muvumu Primary School, eight electric posts, 123 residential houses, 13 annex buildings, 32 latrines and three livestock sheds,” he said.
“The rain also destroyed crops including bananas planted on a hectare, beans on 0.7 hectare, maize on five hectares, cassava on 0.2 hectare and sweet potatoes on 0.3 hectare,” added Kayiranga.
He urged residents to tighten their houses’ roofs and support affected neighbors.
