Ezra Pound

Community Radio Harare recently published this:

As water shortages continue to worsen in many Harare suburbs, some mandimbandimbas have taken charge of local boreholes demanding that each resident must pay $1 to access the borehole water.

Several residents who spoke to Talking Harare confirmed that the mandimbandimbas were terrorizing them and taking advantage of the water crisis by demanding money. ‘Yes it is true that the mandimbandimbas are asking us to pay $1 per resident for us to access UNICEF boreholes that are the only source of water in Highfield. For example, at Highfield Satellite Clinic this situation has been going on for over a week now and these people seem to be untouchable once again as nothing is being done to stop them,’ said Mrs Faith Madondo of Highfield.

When Talking Harare visited Mbare, it noticed the mandimbandimbas controlling hundreds of residents who were trying to draw water from a mass tap near Mbare Netball Complex. Residents were being asked to pay ‘maintenance’ fees for the water tap which is apparently owned by council. The situation was similar at a borehole near Budiriro 2 Primary School and other suburbs like Glen Norah, Dzivarasekwa and Glen Norah. Those who were failing to pay were turned away and denied access to water.

The mandimbandimbas were recently chucked out of kombi ranks where they were forcing transport operators to pay them fees which were not justified since all bus termini in Harare are owned by Harare city council. Police and soldiers moved in to remove them following incessant complaints by members of the public, kombi operators and stakeholders that these were becoming a law unto themselves and causing havoc to the travelling public and transport business.

Meanwhile, some touts who were removed from kombi ranks are slowly trickling back after council failed to swiftly move in and reclaim its termini. Talking Harare observed that at Copacabana, Market Square and Fourth Street, the illegal touts are coming back and causing confusion once again.

Kubatana is attending the Beirut SHARE Conference.

A way cool gathering.

From the Guardian.

The activists taking part in a ‘No To Nato Scotland Coalition’, using chalk to draw 24,000 figures on the pavement to represent the deaths of people that have been killed, to date, in the current Afghanistan campaign. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

My Voice on Sexual and Reproductive Health Poster Design Competition: SAYWHAT
Deadline: 2 November 2012

SAYWHAT is running a “My Voice on Sexual and Reproductive Health Poster Design Competition” in all tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe from Monday the 1st October to Friday the 2nd of November 2012. My Voice on Sexual and Reproductive Health Poster Design Competition seeks to tap in the expertise of tertiary students who can design a poster that addresses one of the following themes:

-Positive Living (including Hope for Students living with HIV and AIDS).
-Promotion of uptake of Sexual and Reproductive Health services and commodities as well as Behavioural change to reduce the vulnerability of students.
-Equal participation of young men and women (gender equality and equity) and its relationship to Sexual and Reproductive Health.

In selecting the wining poster, an independent panel will consider the following:
-Whether your message is clear and precise;
-Level of relevance and appeal to students in tertiary institution;
-Creativity;
-Potential to inspire behaviour change in students.

Please note that the winner will walk away with 300US dollars cash! And an opportunity for the poster to be reproduced and widely circulated in all tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe. Do the best, make money and be remembered for being a positive voice amongst your generation.

This competition is open to all students in tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe.

Please submit your poster in JPEG, Microsoft Word and PDF format to: jephiter [at] saywhat [dot] org [dot] zw or langa [at] saywhat [dot] org [dot] zw

Or call us for more information on 0733854681/04788067/0772146247-9

SAYWHAT is a civil society student based organization founded in December 2003 as a platform where students in tertiary institutions can discuss their sexual and reproductive health challenges. Its overarching aim is to foster, among the students, a sharp sense of personal responsibility for maintaining good sexual and reproductive health status. SAYWHAT’s vision is to ensure a gender-just nation with empowered, healthy & responsible students who enjoy their full reproductive health & rights in tertiary institutions.