Heads of Civil Society Coalitions will address a Press Conference at 12.00 noon today in Harare at the ZimRights offices.  The leaders will speak on the arrest and continued detention of Counselling Services Unit Senior Programmes Officers, the behaviour of the police in this and other cases and the disruption of CSU’s critical and lawful activities.

Contact details for further information are as follows:

Irene Petras: Chair: Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum / Executive Director:
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
Tel: +263 4044 213

Abel Chikomo: Executive Director: Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
Tel: + 263 7722 60664

Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Landline:  +263 (4) 250 5111
Contact: Abel Chikomo or Programmes Co-ordinator Blessing Gorejena

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights: Landline +263 (4) 76085/
251468/705370/705641
Contact: Irene Petras or Kumbirai Mafunda

I like to hear the sound of form, and I like to hear the sound of it breaking.
- Paris Review – The Art of Poetry No. 95, Frederick Seidel

This statement from the Counselling Services Unit (CSU) draws attention to and requests solidarity to protest police abuse of power and harassment:

Fidelis Mudimu, Zachariah Godi and Tafadzwa Geza have just spent their third night in the police cells, two in Harare Central and last night in Bulawayo Central Police Station, after an unwarranted transfer to Bulawayo. They were transported on the back of an open pick up truck, registration ACD 6377, with no protection from the sun, despite the temperature reaching 33 degrees in Harare. They were then moved to Bulawayo from Kwekwe in a twin cab ABI 3608 and arrived at 18h00. They were not interviewed by the police, but immediately detained in the police cells on a detention order which had been prepared in Harare.

The following facts of the arbitrary raid and arrest and detention need highlighting.

Counselling Services Unit is a lawfully registered medical clinic providing non-partisan counselling and referral to all victims of trauma.

On Monday 5 November, the clinic was threatened with violence and normal services were disrupted by the invasion of the clinic by 12 uniformed and non-uniformed police officers, including members of the Bomb Disposal Squad and an Information Technology expert. The clinic was surrounded by armed riot police who threatened to fire tear gas into the building, which is also occupied by other tenants. Patients awaiting services were left unattended for 4 hours while the police demanded and forcibly accessed confidential medical records. They removed a computer which contains confidential client information and client records. No further booked patients were able to enter the building to receive treatment.

Counselling Services Unit adheres to the Environmental Compliance requirements for health facilities, following the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health. The guidelines require separation of cleaning materials for areas of ablution and areas of food storage and preparation. The cleaning utensils are clearly marked using spray paint, and the paint is stored on the premises in the work area of the janitor. It is not hidden or stored secretively and was purchased in July 2012. CSU have handed the receipts of purchase of three 250ml cans of spray paint from the local hardware store to the police. The police fixated on the finding of this paint and refused to listen to any explanation. With no further investigations, 5 staff members were arbitrarily arrested and transported to Harare Central Police station for further questioning. 2 staff members were released 2 hours later, and 3 have been detained since then with no warned and cautioned statement and no indication of charges. The removal of the 3 staff to Bulawayo after the required time for a court appearance and the further detention order with no defined charges or substantive evidence of illegal activities constitutes serious and illegal harassment.

Counselling Services Unit is deeply concerned about the protracted course of this situation and the non-adherence to the law by the arresting officers. CSU is concerned about the safety of Fidelis Mudimu, Zachariah Godi and Tafadzwa Geza.

We would request solidarity and protest on the following fundamental issues of this series of events:

1. Disruption of medical services to victims of trauma, and the unwarranted terrorisation of patients awaiting services
2. The illegal access to confidential patient medical records
3. The unwarranted deployment of armed riot police to the offices creating alarm and fear to the other tenants of the building and surrounds
4. The illegal removal of a computer, which is not covered in the search warrant which stated a “search for material likely to deface any house, building, wall, fence, lamp post, gate or elevator without the consent of the owner or occupier thereof”.
5. The removal of confidential medical and legal records without permission of the patients to whom they pertain.
6. The arbitrary selection of staff for arrest with no concrete evidence of any crime having been committed, particularly in Bulawayo where CSU has no clinic.
7. The illegal detention and transfer of senior staff to Bulawayo without formal charges, and exceeding the time limit for appearance before a magistrate with formal charges.

Work in and for Zimbabwe. Help grow our nation. Check out the vacancies below. If you’d like to receive this sort of information, as well as civic and human rights updates, by email each week drop us a note saying “subscribe” to info [at] kubatana [dot] net

Please note that the job vacancies we carry are related to the NGO and civil society sectors only.

Field Officer: Local NGO
Deadline: 16 November 2012

Location: Mashonaland West Province (Kariba)

A local Non Governmental Organisation is looking for a mature individual to fill in the following position that has arisen within the organisation. The position is for seven months starting in January 2013 and ending on 31 July 2013.

Summary of Duties and Responsibilities
-Mobilize communities and beneficiaries
-Offer extension for both livestock and crops to project beneficiaries
-Organize field days for both crops and livestock
-Manage and offer technical advice to demonstration plots for crops and livestock
-Monitor the distribution process at participating agro-dealers
-Collect vouchers from agro-dealers for payment by FAO
-Organize and run small livestock fairs
-Coordinate and liaise with Agritex, Department of Veterinary Services and Department of Livestock Development and Production
-Produce weekly reports
-Consolidate weekly reports into monthly reports to be submitted to head office

Qualifications and Experience
-Diploma in Agriculture or equivalent
-At least 2 years experience in a similar or related position
-Good communication skills and ability to mix with people from different backgrounds is a distinct advantage
-Clean class 3 driver’s license
-Experience in organizing small livestock fairs
-Good report writing skills

Email applications and CV’s to: matenda [at] fctz [dot] org [dot] zw

Child Protection Specialist: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Deadline: 30 November 2012

Vacancy Notice No. 2012:30
NO-C Level, Fixed Term position
Based in Harare
For Zimbabwe Nationals only

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 60 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.

Purpose of the post
A unique opportunity has arisen for a qualified and experienced individual who will have ample scope to directly impact women’s and children’s rights in Zimbabwe The successful candidate will be reporting to the Child Protection Specialist and accountable for effective engagement in child sensitive social protection policy and programme dialogue with the Government including the development of a social protection policy framework that is child and HIV/AIDS sensitive. This also includes implementing a national child-sensitive social protection programme of social cash transfers to the poorest and most vulnerable children and households.

Key activities/ result areas for this post include
-Effective implementation of the NAP II / Child Protection Fund (CPF) monitoring and evaluation framework in line with agreed targets and timeframes.
-Ongoing, established positive liaison with the Department of Social Services (DSS) on the implementation of the NAP II / CPF, including coordination structures.
-Monitoring state budget resources for child and social protection.
-Ensuring the NAP II / CPF communication strategy is regularly updated and implemented.
-Routine output monitoring conducted linked to the NAP II / CPF activities.
-Regularly collate, analyse and present data on the reach and impact of the NAP II/CPF on children and families for UNICEF and other stakeholders.
-Support Government to implement a national case management system linked to the delivery of social cash transfers to ensure children affected by violence; exploitation and abuse receive timely and quality support and care services.
-Other activities related to child and social protection programming and policy advise as needed.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience Required
-Advanced University Degree in Social Sciences, law, child development or a related field.
-At least five years of professional work experience in the UN or other international development organization/ private sector, national government.
-Demonstrated analytical ability, and the capacity to develop strategies while working under pressure.
-Specific programming expertise related to child and/or social protection an asset.
-Demonstrable project management and coordination skills.
-Well – developed communication skills (oral and written).

If you have experience of working in a similar capacity, meet the above profile and want to make an active and lasting contribution to build a better world for children, send your application letter together with resume quoting vacancy notice number to the following address.

Human Resources Manager
(Vacancy Notice No. 30: Zim-2012)
UNICEF, 6 Fairbridge Avenue,
P O Box 1250
Belgravia, Harare

Or email: hararevacancies [at] unicef [dot] org

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

UNICEF is committed to gender equality in its mandate and its staff. Well-qualified candidates, particularly women are especially encouraged to apply.

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