The Guardian

The drying up of donor funds to provide free blood is a major set back to pregnant women in Zimbabwe. Pregnant mothers will now have to pay more to get blood in the event that they encounter complications during delivery. According to the Herald, a pint of blood costs US$65 in Government institutions and US$50 in mission hospitals. This will automatically see an increase in maternal costs on pregnant mothers who have been struggling to pay maternity fees. Of note are very interesting points from the article where the National Blood Transfusion was quoted saying, “the cost of collecting and processing a pint of blood is about US$129 yet it is being sold to mission and Government hospitals at US$50 and US$65 respectively”. So one wonders whether if this is true since the organization gets free donations of blood from the public. The donor-funded progamme is coming to an end this month and government has not come up with a backup plan to avert a shortage of blood in public hospitals and clinics.

New report by Global Witness:

Financing a Parallel Government?
The involvement of the secret police and military in Zimbabwe’s diamond, cotton and property sectors

Global Witness has run pioneering campaigns against natural resource-related conflict and corruption and associated environmental and human rights abuses. Their work has revealed how, rather than benefiting a country’s citizens, abundant timber, diamonds, minerals, oil and other natural resources can incentivise corruption, destabilise governments, and lead to war.

The latest Global Witness report reveals how Zimbabwe’s feared secret police, the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), appears to have received off-budget financing from Sam Pa, a businessman based in Hong Kong; and how members of the CIO are directors of a group of companies, Sino Zimbabwe Development, registered in Zimbabwe, Singapore and the British Virgin Islands.

The report also exposes how a Zimbabwean military lawyer owns half of Anjin Investments (Pvt) Ltd, the biggest diamond company in Zimbabwe’s controversial Marange diamond fields, on behalf of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Defence.

Access the Global Witness Report online here

From Foreign Policy magazine:

Other People Ruining Zimbabwe

It’s not just Robert Mugabe’s fault the country is such a mess. (Just mostly.)

When Robert Mugabe turned 88 in February, he celebrated with five massive cakes, a soccer tournament dubbed the “Bob 88 Super Cup,” and a beauty pageant. “The day will come when I will become sick,” Mugabe told Radio Zimbabwe, according to AFP. “As of now I am fit as a fiddle.”

Fortified with Botox, vitamin shots and black hair dye, Mugabe still seems pretty feisty, last week running down civilians with his motorcade and taking a bloated entourage to the United Nations sustainable development conference in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe is limping along, its economy broken and its government barely functioning. But while Mugabe continues to get all the international attention, he can’t be held solely responsible for Zimbabwe’s ongoing turmoil. Here’s a list of five people who also deserve a bit of the blame.

1) Emmerson Mnangagwa

Known as “Ngwena,” or “The Crocodile,” for his reputed brutality, Mnangagwa is Zimbabwe’s defense minister and the current favorite to succeed Mugabe. A veteran of the guerrilla war against the British, Mnangagwa went on to head the secret police in the 1980s, and he is thought to have orchestrated the slaughter of about 20,000 ethnically Ndebele civilians by a North Korean-trained army unit in the 1980s. Sokwanele, an activist group, called him “perhaps the one figure in Zimbabwe to inspire greater terror than President Mugabe.”

More recently, Mnangagwa was Mugabe’s chief election officer during the violent 2008 runoff vote, when thugs from the ruling party, Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF), waged a bloody intimidation campaign against opposition supporters. The Sunday Telegraph reported in April on a secret pact: Mugabe allegedly told Mnangagwa he would anoint him his successor — as long as he ensured Mugabe’s victory in the second round of voting. Mnangagwa dismissed this as mere noise intended to stir up interparty conflict. But according to Zimbabwe political analysts, “The Crocodile” is fighting hard in Zanu-PF’s continuing power struggles.

Mnangagwa is also heavily involved in the construction of a military college near the capital, Harare, dubbed the Robert Mugabe National School of Intelligence, the Zimbabwean newspaper reported last year. Built by a Chinese construction company, the college has been financed with a $98 million Chinese loan, funded by a diamond deal with Chinese firm Anjin Investments. Mnangagwa recently admitted to Zimbabwean military involvement in the diamond trade, telling a university audience in Gweru that the Army struck deals with Chinese and Russian diamond firms to counter Western sanctions.

2. Saviour Kasukuwere

As indigenization and empowerment minister, Kasukuwere presides over the notorious 2010 law that forces foreign-owned companies to cede 51 percent of their shares to black Zimbabweans. This indigenization program has made Kasukuwere, 41, the youngest Zanu-PF minister, “a rising political star,” according to South Africa’s Times newspaper. He has vowed to intensify the program, claiming it will give Mugabe a boost in the upcoming election.

Kasukuwere, who in April confusingly claimed to Zimbabwe’s Newsday that he is the “Hitler of our time,” has been doing his best to terrify already nervous foreign investors. He announced that the government had unilaterally seized a controlling stake in an unspecified number of mines and threatened to take over another, owned by South Africa’s Impala Platinum, without offering any compensation. Kasukuwere said he is seeking justice for his people and a restoration of rights to national resources. “If that is Hitler, let me be a Hitler tenfold,” he told Newsday.

3. Morgan Tsvangirai

Many Zimbabweans credit Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, the former opposition leader turned coalition partner to Mugabe, for helping bring relative peace and stability to the country. But his critics say the country’s stability has nothing to do with Tsvangirai, pointing instead to Zimbabwe’s adoption of the American dollar and an increase in foreign aid. Ministries in their joint government barely function, and few of the reforms agreed to under the power-sharing deal have been implemented. In a leaked diplomatic cable, U.S. Amb. Charles Ray said in late 2009 that the party Tsvangirai leads, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), lacked strategic vision.

Tsvangirai recently got engaged to the daughter of a high-ranking Zanu-PF official, and while there’s no accounting for love, it is an odd choice given the continuing turmoil between Mugabe’s party and Tsvangirai’s MDC. His late wife, Susan, who died in a car crash less than a month after Tsvangirai became prime minister, in 2009, was hailed as “a mother of the nation.” Zimbabweans are left wondering why Tsvangirai is marrying into the Zanu-PF, the party that has brutalized thousands of MDC supporters.

4. Obert Mpofu

The mining minister Mpofu has a tight grip on the state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), the company that controls the Marange fields in eastern Zimbabwe — home to an estimated 25 percent of the world’s diamonds. But little of the country’s diamond revenue has found its way into state coffers, amid allegations of widespread smuggling and plunder of Marange’s riches.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti said he only received $122 million in diamond revenues last year, money desperately needed to fund government projects, despite the country producing $334 million worth of gems. Mpofu, who calls himself Mugabe’s “ever obedient son” and also has close ties to Beijing, has been struggling to explain why he is suddenly a very wealthy man.

5. Jacob Zuma

South African President Zuma is supposed to be facilitating talks on Zimbabwe’s political crisis. After the disastrous 2008 elections, regional bloc known as the Southern African Development Community appointed Zuma as facilitator of dialogue between Zanu-PF and the MDC. Zimbabweans hoped Zuma would succeed in pushing for Mugabe to be held accountable.

But Zuma has been widely criticized for his utter lack of progress. “Revolutions have been conceived and executed and elections held, or due to be held in Tunisia and Egypt while Mr. Zuma is still trying to organize one election,” the Zimbabwean said in April. “Mr. Zuma should also understand that there is a cost in human lives being lost in Zimbabwe while this procrastination over agreed reforms is going on.”

Zuma, overdue to return to Harare to meet with leaders in the unity government, seems preoccupied with political maneuvering at home ahead of a crucial African National Congress conference later this year. A spokeswoman for the South African mediation team said Zuma isn’t there to “babysit” the process. Zuma has called for patience, but with elections nearing, political violence mounting, and the country going broke, time is running out.

Robert Mugabe, however, seems to be going strong.

- Erin Conway-Smith

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.

Corporate and Natural Resources Officer: Acton Aid
Deadline: 6 July 2012

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa or Nairobi, Kenya
Duration: 3 years Fixed Term Contract – Local terms and Conditions of Employment

The Corporate and Natural Resources Officer promotes coherence between local, national and international work on the role of corporations in control of natural resources.  The role has a global remit, but with special emphasis on Fair, Green & Global (FGG) project in Southern & Eastern Africa (Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa), working to improve local control of land, water, and other resources in the face of increasing control being granted to private companies.

Formally you will have a relevant degree/Masters or equivalent experience coupled with at least 5 years experience working in an international agency / across countries on natural resources and corporate accountability.  This is underpinned by a comprehensive understanding of rights-based programme practice and the ability to link this work to national and international influencing work.

The ideal candidate can be described as energetic, enthusiastic and interested in learning within a political, changing and diverse work environment with strong networking/relationship-building skills- ability to anticipate, coordinate and facilitate activities with colleagues.

You will have excellent problem-solving skills and resourcefulness.  A high capacity for work output in order to meet tight deadlines and multiple priorities are essential.  Strong verbal and written communication skills in English (additionally French and Portuguese will be an advantage) are crucial, especially the ability to inform and engage through written communication

On a personal level you will have a strong commitment to develop, promote and practice AAI’s vision, mission, values, and strategy.

Application procedures: Further information on this position can be obtained from our website at www.actionaid.org/jobs

Applications should be sent with your CV, motivation cover letter and two names of your nominated referees to: programmes.jhb [at] actionaid [dot] org

Please clearly indicate which position you are applying for.

Although all applications will be considered on their individual merit, suitably qualified women are especially encouraged to apply.

Assistant PRIZE Program Coordinator (Bulawayo): Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
Deadline: 6 July 2012

The Assistant PRIZE Program Coordinator (APC) supervises all program activities and CRS technical leads for Food for Assets, Logistics, VS&L/Agribusiness and Agriculture under the PRIZE Consortium.  S/he is responsible for the successful implementation of PRIZE programming in the field.

Qualifications & Experience
-Masters Degree or equivalent experience in Economic Development, Social Sciences, International Relations or other relevant field required.
-Minimum 3 years of progressive management responsibility in developing countries.
-Prior practical management experience of USAID funding and exceptional knowledge of USG and Title II policies and procedures required.
-Prior working experience in managing complex emergencies desired.
-Proven leadership and inter-personal skills and ability to build and motivate diverse and talented teams; Able to mentor, supervise, and train staff.
-Prior experience working with budgets desired.
-Excellent writing and communication skills in both English and the appropriate local language.
-Able to travel to the PRIZE operational areas a minimum of 30% of time.
-Demonstrated strengths in relationship management; able to work with diverse groups of people in multicultural, team-oriented environment

Those who meet the above criteria are invited to submit their applications together with a cover letter and detailed Curriculum Vitae that includes the names and contact details (plus e-mails addresses) of three traceable references. Applications should be clearly marked “Assistant PRIZE Program Coordinator”.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.  Please submit to: The Country Representative, 95 Park Lane, Harare or 33A Duncan Road Suburbs Bulawayo or P.O. Box CY 1111, Causeway, Harare, or to taurai.musakaruka [at] crs [dot] org

Logistics and Procurement Officer: Cordaid
Deadline: 6 July 2012

Duty station: Harare
Reporting to: Finance and Administration Manager

The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (MoHCW) and the World Bank have appointed an international NGO, Cordaid, to manage the Results Based Financing (RBF) program, in close partnership with the MoHCW and the World Bank. Cordaid has established an office in Harare that will roll-out the program in close collaboration with the MOHCW. Cordaid is recruiting suitably qualified Logistics and Procurement Officer.

Position in the Organization: The Logistics and Procurement Officer will be responsible for the Logistics Assistant and the Driver, at the same time reporting directly to the Finance and Administration Manager.

Objective of the posting: The Logistics and Procurement Officer will be responsible for ensuring that all procurement and logistics activities for Cordaid Zimbabwe are done in compliance with the set standards and procedures.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities
-Manage the routine care and maintenance of the vehicle fleet and keeping records of vehicle documents
-Ensure that the daily driver’s schedule for Cordaid Harare is available and updated
-Give logistical support to the NPA office and the programmes department in the monthly/ quarterly plans incl. Field Visits
-Maintain and update an accurate database with all computer licenses and expiry dates, and be the focal point with IT service providers
-Maintain and update the assets list on a monthly basis and organize quarterly assets counts
-Manage the approved asset movement, monitor and track and update the records accordingly
-Follow-up and oversee that the assets inventory for the LPU Offices are accurate and up-to-date
-Responsible for procurement according to the Procurement Plan and along the World Bank procurement guidelines
-Ensure that the procurement and logistics documentation is complete and updated accordingly
-Ensure compliance with donor and audit requirements
-Advice the Management on all issues related to procurement and logistics, and ensures transparency and accountability in all activities
-Develop a system of tracking procurement and logistics requests and generate weekly status reports
-Evaluate and monitor the organization’s procurement processes and ensure that they are in line with the Cordaid and World Bank Procurement Standards
-Improve, implement and monitor the Logistics Manuals and the Security Manual
-Monitor and supervise the driver and the Logistics Assistant and ensure that the employee duties are carried out effectively and efficiently
-Research market information on different supplies and maintain accurate and up-to-date supplier database for supplies
-Develop, maintain and continually update the pre-approved vendors’ database
-Provide timely technical advice, guidance to and support to the LPU offices as well as support their capacity building efforts
-Prepare accurate and timely reports and to carry out any other relevant duty as requested by the Finance and Administration Manager

Qualifications and competencies
-A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in logistics and procurement and/or any other related qualifications
-At least 5 years experience in a similar position at an NGO and at least 2 years proven experience in management level and administration incl. IT
-Proven experience in fleet management with basic knowledge of vehicle engineering
-Computer literate and proficiency in Micro-Soft Office packages
-Excellent knowledge and experience of procurement guidelines of large institutional donors, experience with World Bank procurement guidelines will be an added advantage
-Valid and Clean drivers licence

Contract duration: one year (probation period three months) with the intention to extend for a longer period subject to performance and continuation of the program

Applications including an application letter, extensive CV in English and the contact details of at least three professional references (give also their email addresses), should be forwarded to hr.Zimbabwe [at] cordaid [dot] net

Mention the vacancy number in subject line: LPO001 – Logistics and Procurement Officer

For hand delivery forward to the attention of the Human Resources Officer, 21 Argyle Road, Avondale, Harare. Indicate the vacancy reference number on the sealed envelope.

A written test will constitute part of the interview process.

Only the short listed candidates will be contacted.

Centre Lawyer: Legal Resources Foundation (LRF)
Deadline: 15 July 2012

The Legal Resources Foundation a local human rights and legal services NGO invites applications from suitably qualified and experienced persons for the post of Centre Lawyer that has arisen in Bulawayo.

Duties and responsibilities
-Providing Legal Assistance and Legal Aid
-Public Interest and Test Litigation
-Legal Education
-Supervision of paralegals
-Monitoring and evaluation
-Report writing

Qualifications and experience
-LLB degree from any recognized university
-Applicants must be registered legal practitioners with at least two years working experience
-Fluent in English and local languages especially Ndebele

Other Competencies
-Applicants must be self-motivated and have a demonstrable ability to lead a team and to work with minimal supervision
-Must have passion for fairness and justice
-Must be able to relate to the poor and marginalised

Package
The position carries a competitive package, which will be disclosed to successful applicants.

Applications with full contact details, accompanied by comprehensive curriculum vitae, and clearly marked “Centre Lawyer Bulawayo” should be sent to:

The Centre Director
P O Box 1131
BULAWAYO

Or they can be emailed to: blpc [at] lrf [dot] co [dot] zw

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.