Category: News Feeds

This
story
was
originally
published
by


Global
Press
Journal.

HARARE,
ZIMBABWE
—
It’s
possible
to
buy
pretty
much
anything
at
the
market
in
Hopley,
an
informal
settlement
south
of
this
capital
city:
rat
poison,
mops
—
even
medicine.

That
medicine
is
sold
without
prescriptions,
to
buyers
who
don’t
have
a
diagnosis
from
a
doctor
in
hand.
Some
vendors
even
offer
diagnoses
to
their
customers,
even
though
they
don’t
have
any
medical
training.
And
in
many
cases,
the
medicine
is
fake.
At
any
moment,
police
could
swoop
in
for
a
raid.
Vendors
keep
the
medicine
out
of
view,
and
buyers
know
who
to
ask.

Gladys
Chihozhwa
buys
contraceptive
pills
from
one
of
them,
and
even
turns
to
the
vendors
for
diagnoses
when
she’s
sick.
She
knows
the
drugs
might
be
expired,
or
even
fake.
That
doesn’t
deter
her.

“I
buy
them
because
they
are
cheap,”
she
says.

Zimbabwe
is
overwhelmed
with
counterfeit
medicine,
driven
by
the
expansion
of
informal
markets
and
consumer
demand
for
cheaper
products.
Police
routinely
impound
pharmaceuticals.
In
just
one
example,
the
Medicines
Control
Authority
of
Zimbabwe
in
January
discovered
counterfeit
rabies
vaccines
in
circulation.
Their
packaging
mimicked
that
of
legitimate
imports
from
India,
a
big
supplier
of
Zimbabwe’s
medicine.

The
vaccines’
pathway
into
the
market
remains
unclear,
but
some
products
pour
into
Zimbabwe’s
informal
markets
through
its
leaky
borders
with
Zambia,
where
counterfeit
medicines
from
India
are
easily
available,
and
cheap.

The
consequences
of
this
trade
can
be
fatal.
According
to
a
2022
report
by
the
United
Nations
Office
on
Drugs
and
Crime,
in
sub-Saharan
Africa
alone,
counterfeit
medicines
kill
just
over
a
quarter
of
a
million
people
each
year.

Even
when
not
immediately
fatal,
they
can
cause
long-term
harm,
including
increasing
antibiotic
resistance,
says
Dr.
Grant
Marewanhema,
a
public
health
expert.

In
a
written
response,
public
relations
officer
Davison
Kaiyo
says
the
Medicines
Control
Authority
of
Zimbabwe
has
tried
to
address
this
problem
by
conducting
raids
with
the
police
and
intercepting
counterfeit
medicines
at
borders.
They
also
conduct
regular
inspections
at
pharmacies.
Those
caught
are
prosecuted,
and
the
medicines
confiscated,
he
says.

But
demand
is
high,
so
new
shipments
keep
pouring
in.

A
global
problem

Distribution
of
fake
and
substandard
medicines
is
a
global,
highly
profitable
criminal
enterprise.
One
2020
study
by
the
Pacific
Research
Institute
estimated
that
the
counterfeit
medicine
market
is
worth
somewhere
between
US$200
billion
and
US$431
billion
annually.

Many
of
the
counterfeit
drugs
are
produced
in
India,
where
a
mix
of
highly
reputable
drug
manufacturers
and
unregulated
producers
creates
serious
challenges
for
oversight
and
quality
control.

Africa
is
particularly
affected.
According
to
the
World
Health
Organization,
42%
of
globally
detected
cases
of
counterfeit
and
substandard
medical
products
between
2013
and
2017
were
in
Africa.

In
Zimbabwe,
porous
borders
facilitate
the
movement,
but
a
combination
of
other
factors
fuels
the
trade.
The
country’s
decades-long
economic
problems
have
left
the
health
care
system
hanging
by
a
thread.
Many
public
hospitals
simply
don’t
have
medicine
supply,
says
Portifa
Mwendera,
a
pharmacist
of
25
years.
Most
times,
patients
are
given
prescriptions
and
told
to
source
the
medication
elsewhere,
he
says.

But
Zimbabwe
produces
only
30%
of
its
essential
medicines.
The
rest
is
imported
and
costly
in
pharmacies.
Many
people
in
the
country
are
too
strapped
for
cash,
and
these
vendors
offer
options
that
are
easier
on
the
pocket,
Mwendera
says.

Cross-border
trade

Sanudi,
a
cross-border
truck
driver,
has
for
two
decades
smuggled
medicine
into
the
country
through
the
Chirundu
border
post,
a
key
trade
and
travel
point
between
Zambia
and
Zimbabwe.
He
knows
many
other
truckers
who
do
the
same.
Sanudi
asked
Global
Press
Journal
to
use
his
middle
name
for
fear
of
arrest.

It’s
easy,
he
says.
At
the
border,
if
the
bag
is
small,
he
leaves
it
with
a
security
guard
as
the
truck
undergoes
scanning.
He
pays
the
guard
US$50
to
US$60,
then
charges
the
traders
about
US$200
to
transport
two
small
bags.
If
the
consignment
is
too
big
to
stash
with
the
guards,
he
simply
bribes
the
officials
scanning
the
trucks.

“It’s
a
risky
operation,
but
I
do
it
for
the
extra
money
I
get,”
he
says.

Global
Press
Journal
reached
out
to
officials
at
the
Zimbabwe
Revenue
Authority,
but
they
did
not
respond
to
interview
requests.

‘I
always
take
the
risk’

Gozo,
a
vendor
who
also
asked
Global
Press
Journal
to
use
only
one
name
for
fear
of
arrest,
sells
pharmaceuticals
without
a
license,
and
offers
diagnoses.
Once
the
customer
describes
their
symptoms,
Gozo
says
she
knows
what
to
sell
them.
Two
years
in
this
trade
have
sufficiently
equipped
her,
she
says,
especially
in
prescribing
antibiotics.

“The
people
I
sell
the
drugs
to
get
better,”
she
says.

Antibiotics
such
as
ciprofloxacin
are
popular
at
her
stall,
and
many
of
them
come
from
a
supplier
who
gets
them
from
Zambia.
Ten
antibiotics
pills
go
for
US$1
at
her
stall.
In
licensed
pharmacies,
the
cost
can
be
twice
as
much.

If
arrested,
she
could
face
high
fines
or
even
imprisonment.
Police
conduct
raids
at
the
market
from
time
to
time,
but
sellers
like
her
depend
on
this
trade
for
a
living.

“I
always
take
the
risk,”
she
says.

Gamuchirai
Masiyiwa
is
a
Global
Press
Journal
reporter-in-residence
based
in
Harare,
Zimbabwe.

Post
published
in:

Featured

Those
waiting
for
the
biggest
law
firms
in
the
nation
to
lead
the
charge
(or
at
least
the
defense)
against
Donald
Trump
and
his
attacks
on
the
legal
system
got
a
shot
in
the
arm
last
week
when,
in
separate
lawsuits,
both
Jenner
&
Block
and
WilmerHale
challenged
Executive
Orders
targeting
their
respective
firms.
However,
that
burgeoning
sense
of
hope
was
quickly
replaced
with
the
more
familiar
despair
when
Skadden
—
not
even
the
subject
of
an
onerous
EO
yet
—
inked
a
deal
with
Trump
promising
$100
million
in
pro
bono
payola.

It’s
worth
remembering
that
for
all
their
power
and
might,
the
overwhelming
majority
of
Biglaw
has
been
eerily
silent
on
the
matter.
But
not
elite
boutique
law
firms.
Elias
Law
Group
Chair
Marc
Elias
has
been

vocal
in
his
commitment
to
the
cause
and
Keker
Van
Nest

came
out
swinging
against
Trump’s
bullying
of
the
legal
profession.

And
more
outside
of
Biglaw
have
spoken
up.
Jay
Edelson,
founder
of
plaintiff’s
firm
Edelson
P.C.,
wrote
an

op-ed
in
The
Hill
speaking
out
against
Trump’s
blacklisting
of
Biglaw
and
how
that
represents
an
attack
on
our
very
system
of
justice.

But
passionately
advocating
against
systemic
issues
or
flawed
judicial
decisions
differs
fundamentally
from
personal
attacks
on
judges.
Blacklisting
lawyers
or
firms
simply
for
representing
clients
or
causes
we
oppose
politically
undermines
the
adversarial
process
critical
to
our
legal
system.
And
viewing
every
issue
solely
through
a
partisan
lens
obscures
real
problems,
stifles
critical
debate
and
deepens
division. 

Litigation
boutique
Hecker
Fink
also
made
a
statement:

“The
administration’s
ongoing
attacks
and
attempts
to
intimidate
lawyers,
law
firms,
and
judges
are
unprecedented
and
threaten
the
rule
of
law
and
our
democratic
values.
And,
sadly,
those
attacks
understandably
instilled
fear
and
hesitation,
including
on
the
part
of
colleagues
in
the
bar
for
whom
we
have
deep
respect,”
Hecker
Fink
said.

“As
lawyers,
we
are
often
across
the
aisle
as
adversaries.
But
we
all
believe
in
the
same
core
principles.
Protecting
our
clients
and
the
legal
system
is
something
we
must
do
together,”
the
statement
continued.
“Our
firm
commits
to
stand
beside
the
firms
and
lawyers
targeted
by
the
administration.
All
of
them.
And
we
hope
all
those
that
can
will
do
the
same.”

As

reported
by
Law.com,
tech
boutique
ZwillGen
also
spoke
up.

“When
law
firms
are
punished—or
threatened—for
the
clients
they
represent
or
the
positions
they
argue
in
court
simply
because
the
administration
disagrees
with
them,
the
rule
of
law
begins
to
deteriorate,”
the
boutique
said.
“Efforts
to
intimidate
and
marginalize
lawyers
who
challenge
executive
power
erode
our
institutions
while
enabling
unchecked
authority.
We
call
on
the
legal
community
to
join
us
and
to
resist—clearly,
publicly,
and
without
apology—these
attacks
on
the
foundations
of
our
legal
system.”

“If
we
do
not
stand
up
for
the
ability
to
practice
our
own
profession,
how
can
our
clients
believe
we
will
fight
for
them?”
ZwillGen
added.

Plus
there’s
an
amicus
brief
reportedly
being
circulated
by
Munger
Tolles
&
Olson
(we’ll
give
Biglaw
their
flowers
when
they
deserve
them)
in
support
of
Perkins
Coie
that
firms
are
considering
signing.

For
instance,
Norton
Law
Firm,
a
19-lawyer
boutique
based
in
Oakland,
California,
said
it
“will
join
the
forthcoming
amicus
brief
in
support
of
Perkins
Coie
in
its
lawsuit
against
the
current
administration
and
encourage
our
colleagues
to
do
the
same.
“

The
firm
said
it
supports
“Perkins
Coie,
Covington
&
Burling,
Jenner
&
Block,
and
the
many
brave
lawyers
who
have
rallied
to
their
defense
and
the
defense
of
the
rule
of
law.
We
oppose
unjustified
and
unconstitutional
efforts
to
intimidate
lawyers
and
law
firms
who
take
on
causes
adverse
to
an
administration
or
its
officers.”

Another
boutique,
Selendy
&
Gay,
posted
on
LinkedIn,
“We
stand
with
the
brave
lawyers
who
will
oppose
any
attempts
by
the
government
to
intimidate
members
of
the
bar
or
judiciary
for
doing
their
jobs.
We
are
proud
of
the
great
history
of
respect
for
the
rule
of
law
in
this
country
and
believe
that
the
freedom
and
prosperity
that
have
resulted
from
the
separation
of
powers
at
the
foundation
of
this
republic
are
worth
defending.”

And
while
Perkins
Coie
and
Jenner
&
Block
turned
to
Biglaw
to
rep
them
in
their
legal
fight
(Williams
&
Connolly
and
Cooley,
respectively),
WilmerHale
turned
to
a
boutique
(Clement
and
Murphy
—
yes,
that’s

conservative
super
lawyer
Paul
Clement’s
firm)
for
their
representation.

Small
firms
are
turning
up
—
it’s
beyond
time
more
of
Biglaw
did
too.

---

Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of

The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email

her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter

@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon

@[email protected].

About
90%
of
healthcare
organizations
are
insecurely
connected
to
the
internet
and
running
systems
vulnerable
to
exploitation
by
ransomware
gangs,
according
to

research
released
this
week
by
cybersecurity
firm

Clarorty.

The
report
examined
data
from
more
than
350
healthcare
organizations,
finding
that
78%
of
them
have
made
ransomware
payments
of
$500,000
or
more.

Healthcare
cybersecurity
incidents
are
often
egregiously
expensive
because
they
create
a
wide
range
of
costs
—
chief
among
them
being
the
inability
to
provide
patient
care,
noted
Ty
Greenhalgh,
industry
principal
of
healthcare
at
Claroty.

“When
systems
are
locked
down
by
ransomware
or
disrupted
by
cyberattacks,
hospitals
may
be
forced
to
divert
patients,
cancel
procedures
or
revert
to
manual
operations,
all
of
which
impact
revenue
and
patient
safety,”
he
explained.

Beyond
service
disruption,
costs
can
build
up
due
to
things
like
ransomware
payments,
regulatory
fines,
class
action
lawsuits
and
the
provision
of
identity
protection
services
for
impacted
patients,
Greenhalgh
added. 

He
pointed
out
that
even
simple
expenses
like
notification
letters
add
up
fast
when
thousands
of
people
are
affected.
Depending
on
the
healthcare
organization
and
its
footprint,
millions
of
people
could
be
affected
by
a
single
cyberattack.
For
instance,

Change
Healthcare’s
cyberattack
from
last
year
exposed
the
data
of

190
million
people,
and

Ascension’s
cyberattack
from
last
year
impacted

more
than
5
million
people.

“For
example,
at
$0.15
per
letter,
a
breach
affecting
2
million
patients
results
in
a
$300,000
cost
just
for
mailing
notifications.
Combine
this
with
forensic
investigations,
system
recovery,
lost
revenue,
and
reputational
damage
and
the
total
financial
impact
can
reach
millions
—
or
even
billions
—
of
dollars,”
Greenhalgh
explained.

In
his
eyes,
the
riskiest
exposure
facing
healthcare
organizations
right
now
is
internet-facing
devices
that
have
known
exploitable
vulnerabilities
(KEVs)
linked
to
ransomware
attacks
in
the
wild. 

KEVs
refer
to
security
flaws
that
have
been
actively
exploited
by
cybercriminals
—
posing
an
immediate
risk
to
systems
and
requiring
urgent
remediation.

“These
devices
are
actively
communicating
outside
the
health
system,
have
been
compromised
in
attacks
against
other
organizations,
and
remain
a
prime
target
for
cybercriminals,”
Greenhalgh
said.

The
traditional
cybersecurity
tools
and
processes
that
healthcare
providers
are
using
to
manage
their
IT
devices
are
not
addressing
these
vulnerabilities
adequately,
he
added.

Healthcare
organizations
often
struggle
to
stay
on
top
of
cybersecurity
best
practices
because
of
how
quickly
the
threat
landscape
is
evolving
and
how
complex
their
operating
environments
are,
Greenhalgh
stated.

“Historically,
humans
were
the
weakest
link,
with
phishing
and
social
engineering
being
the
primary
entry
points
for
attackers.
However,
since
2024,
hands-on-keyboard
system
exploitation
has
surged,
making
direct
system
hacking
just
as
prevalent,”
he
remarked.

Cybercriminals
won’t
stop
targeting
healthcare
providers,
so
they
can’t
completely
prevent
a
motivated
hacker
from
gaining
access
to
their
network,
Greenhalgh
noted.
Instead,
he
said
their
focus
should
be
on
raising
barriers
to
lateral
movement
and
privilege
escalation,
which
are
key
steps
in
ransomware
attacks.
These
steps
enable
attackers
to
spread
across
a
network,
gain
higher-level
access
and
maximize
damage
by
encrypting
an
organization’s
critical
systems
and
data.

But
healthcare
providers
have
a
very
tall
task
in
front
of
them
when
it
comes
to
elevating
risk
barriers,
Greenhalgh
said.

“This
requires
strong
cybersecurity
basics,
including
device
identification,
communication
mapping,
network
segmentation
and
vulnerability
management
—
all
of
which
are
difficult
to
achieve,”
he
declared.

Photo:
WhataWin,
Getty
Images

HARARE
–
Police
mounted
checkpoints
on
roads
leading
to
major
cities
and
towns
on
Monday,
searching
some
vehicles
for
“dangerous
weapons”
in
anticipation
of
planned
anti-government
protests.

Traffic
into
the
centre
of
Harare
and
Bulawayo
was
noticeably
reduced
as
many
appeared
to
have
chosen
not
to
go
to
work
and
children
stayed
away
from
school.

A
truckload
of
police
drove
up
and
down
on
an
emptied
Joshua
Mqabuko
Street
in
Bulawayo,
looking
for
any
trouble.

A
ZimLive
correspondent
in
the
CBD
of
Zimbabwe’s
second
city
said:
“It’s
like
Sunday
morning.
Not
many
people
or
cars
around.”

Outspoken
war
veteran
Blessed
Geza
called
for
an
“uprising”
against
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa,
charging
him
with
leadership
failures
and
paying
lip
service
to
corruption.

Authorities
have
charged
Geza
with
treason,
but
he
has
eluded
capture.

On
the
eve
of
Monday’s
planned
protests,
the
former
Zanu
PF
central
committee
member
wrote
on
X:
“Lets
fill
up
the
streets.
Mnangagwa
gust
go.
It’s
for
every
Zimbabwean.
Lets
stand
up
against
corrupt
rule.”

At
8AM
across
Zimbabwe,
there
were
no
signs
of
protests
on
the
streets.

“The
call
was
for
people
to
flood
the
streets
but
it
appears
so
far
Geza
has
achieved
the
opposite
with
many
staying
at
home
perhaps
out
of
fear
of
what
could
happen,”
a
ZimLive
correspondent
in
Harare
reported.

“Geza
will
claim
a
partial
victory
–
one
man
causing
so
much
chaos
and
potential
harm
to
the
economy
which
will
no
doubt
take
a
hit
from
the
industries
that
won’t
open.”

Large
supermarkets
in
the
city
centres
of
both
Bulawayo
and
Harare
did
not
open
their
doors.

Police
had
called
on
Zimbabweans
to
go
about
their
business
as
usual,
promising
sufficient
security.

Leave
was
cancelled
for
all
police
officers
who
were
also
surprised
when
the
government
deposited
US$50
into
their
individual
accounts
last
Saturday.

Police
detectives
were
also
made
to
sign
a
document
under
the
Official
Secrets
Act
committing
to
remain
loyal
to
the
government;
to
carry
out
any
instruction
given
by
the
police
commissioner
and
also
never
to
divulge
information
on
arrested
suspects.

*
Trump’s
Biglaw
nominees
are
disclosing
their
finances
so
get
ready
for
another
round
of
pearl-clutching
over
how
much
lawyers
makes.
[Reuters]

*
Startup
founder
guilty
of
convincing
JPMorgan
to
throw
away
money.
[Law360]

*
Does
a
firm’s
balance
of
work
dictate
how
obsequious
it
will
be
to
the
administration?
[American
Lawyer]

*
Mainstream
media
starting
to
call
out
Biglaw
firms
for
refusing
to
speak
up
against
Trump
orders,
which
sort
of
defeats
the
purpose
of
keeping
their
heads
down.
[Financial
Times]

*
Harvard
Law
professors
rip
Trump
rule
of
law
assault.
[Axios]

*
“Fired”
independent
directors
lose
bid
to
be
reinstated
pending
appeal.
[Bloomberg
Law
News]

*
Bar
exam
scores
drop
in
February.
[ABA
Journal]

Fallout
From
Skadden’s
Capitulation:
A
principled
“I
QUIT”
from
an
associate.
Suddenly
Skadden
Associates
Can’t
Send
Out
Mass
Emails:
Not
suspicious
at
all…
Jenner
&
Block
and
WilmerHale
Get
Court
Victories
Against
Trump:
From
a
pair
of
GOP-appointed
federal
judges.
Speaking
Of
Conservative
Judges
And
Principled
Stands:
Maybe
stop
calling
for
impeachment
when
judges
are
just
doing
their
jobs
is
a
good
idea.
Trump
Admin
Big
Mad
Over
Due
Process:
And
would
really
like
SCOTUS
to
bail
them
out.