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.

Three (3) vacancies: Local NGO
Deadline: 30 August 2012

An organisation working with children is looking to fill the following posts:

1) Finance Administration Manager
Position: Contract, 9 Months (subject to renewal)
Responsible to: Executive Director
Location: Harare
Commencement: As soon as possible

This position is responsible for the overall financial management (planning, budgeting, accounting and reporting). The role will provide strategic leadership and guidance in developing and implementing guidelines and procedures governing finance systems.

Key responsibilities
-Accurate financial accounting and grants management
-Planning and budgeting on financial aspects of the organization’s programmes
-Accurate reporting to The Executive Director, Finance Committee and funding partners
-Overall accountability of organizational finances and compliance with the organization’s policies and guidelines and donor requirements
-Prepare financial reports in line with organizational and donor reporting requirements
-Co-ordinate and maintain a cash forecasting system to ensure that adequate funds are available to meet the working requirements of the programmes
-Any other duties as may be assigned by Executive Director

Qualifications, experience and competences
-Accounting or Finance-related Degree or equivalent
-Substantial post qualification experience and demonstrable understanding and at least two years experience of finance management within an NGO
-Good accuracy and efficiency with figures
-Knowledge of accounting software like pastel, quick books etc
-Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English

2) Legal Aid Officer
Position: Contract, 9 months
Responsible to: Project Officer
Location: Mutare/Gweru/Harare
Commencement: As soon as possible

Purpose
To facilitate care and legal support for children in conflict with the law by i) Assisting for a timely and fair trial, ii) Ensuring that their rights are recognized iii) Guaranteeing humane and respectful treatment throughout the justice process
Specific Responsibilities
1. Identification and selection of beneficiaries
2. Institutional visits
3. Facilitating legal representation for clients
4. Case conferencing with court officials and other relevant stakeholders
5. Case plan development and implementation
6. Networking with other child protection stakeholders
7. Ensuring that minimum standards are followed in the administration of justice for children
8. Monitoring of project activities
9. Reporting
10. Any other duties assigned by the supervisor

Qualifications
-Degree in law, or any other relevant qualifications
-At least 3 years of relevant work experience
-Own practicing certificate an added advantage
-Proven experience in report writing and proposal writing
-Knowledge of laws governing the rights of children
-Excellent command of English, Shona and Ndebele both written and orally
-Proven experience of being able to communicate effectively orally and in writing
-Experience of working with children, youth and communities is an advantage
-Experience of working with non-governmental organizations, government and international organisations is an advantage
-Ability to be flexible and resourceful
-Good interpersonal skills

3) Case Management Intern
Position: Internship
Responsible to: Project Officer
Location: Mutare
Period: 1 year
Commencement: As soon as possible

Purpose
To facilitate care and legal support for children in conflict with the law by i) Assisting for a timely and fair trial, ii) Ensuring that their rights are recognized iii) Guaranteeing humane and respectful treatment throughout the justice process

Specific Responsibilities
1. Identification and selection of beneficiaries
2. Institutional visits
3. Assist with developing case plans. Conduct home visits, Case profiling, Family tracing and reunification and recommending referral of children as and when necessary
4. Provide psycho-social support; Providing emotional support and counseling services (pre-trial, during and post trial); Provide accompaniment throughout the justice process i.e. to court sessions
5. Ensuring that minimum standards are followed in administering juvenile justice
6. Project activities monitoring
7. Reporting
8. Producing weekly work plans and reports for the supervisor
9. Produce closing reports for all cases

Qualifications
-A student at any university studying social work, law, international relations, social sciences, or any other relevant qualifications
-Knowledge of laws governing the rights of children
-Excellent command of English, Shona and Ndebele both written and orally
-Proven experience of being able to communicate effectively orally and in writing
-Proven interest working with children, youth and communities is an advantage
-Ability to be flexible and resourceful
-Good interpersonal skills

All employees should be able to adhere to our Codes of Conduct and the organizational values: Human dignity, Non discrimination, Gender equality and equity, Teamwork, Confidentiality, Transparency and accountability, Ubuntu.

Applications and CV in English are to be submitted by email to: jobschildren [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] uk

Please ensure that you state the title of the post that you are applying for in the subject line of the email, only successful candidate will be contacted.

Three (3) vacancies: Simukai Child Protection Program, Mutare
Deadline: 1 September 2012

1) Advocacy and Communication Officer

Purpose: To provide a lead in the implementation of Simukai’s advocacy and communications strategy through empowering children and communities on child protection issues.

Major Responsibilities: Advocacy and community empowerment, place of safety management, documentation, communications and Knowledge management

Requirements
-Degree in Psychology or Sociology
-Strong verbal and written communication skills
-Excellent interpersonal skills
-Knowledge of Advocacy and communication strategies.
-Extensive Knowledge on Child rights and protection issues
-Sound documentation and Knowledge management skills
-Flexibility and a willingness to perform other reasonable duties as requested, including willingness and ability to stay late on some occasions
-Applicant to be over 25 years of age

Work Experience
-At least 2 years in similar or related position

2) Education and Rehabilitation Officer

Major responsibilities: Early Childhood Education management, facilitation of psychosocial activities, Rehabilitation Centre management and Documentation

Person Specification
-A social Sciences degree or related field
-At least 2 years experience in a similar environment
-Good communication and liaison skills
-Experience in interfacing with donors

3) Outreach Officer – Rusape

Major responsibilities: Coordination of street work activities, empowering communities on child protection issues, Resources mobilization and facilitation of psychosocial activities.

Person Specification
-A Social Science degree or related field
-At least 2 years working experience in similar environment
-Good communication and networking skills

If you meet the above-mentioned qualifications, send your application letter and CV to simukaivacancies [at] gmail [dot] com stating the position being applied for.

Or hand deliver/post to
The Human Resources Officer
Simukai Child Protection Program
9 Aerodrome, Yeovil Road
Mutare.

Please note that only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Medical/Logical warehouse Manager: MSF
Deadline: 3 September 2012

Location: Harare
Type of Contract: Fixed term contract with trial period of three months
Start Date: To commence work October 2012
Immediate Supervisor: Supply Manager

Objective of the Post
Responsible for OCB Medical and Logistic warehouse in Harare

Educational and professional background
-Diploma pharmacy technician
-Full and current registration/license with relevant professional body
-Computer literacy: Ms Word, Excel, PowerPoint (minimal)
-Knowledge of computerized stock management system
-Fluent in English and Shona, written and spoken

Requirements
-Minimum 5 years’ working experience as pharmacy technician
-Minimum 2 years’ experience on HIV supply chain management
-At least 2 years’ experience as a volunteer worker in an NGO environment
-Ability to manage logistical and pharmaceutical warehouse independently
-Good knowledge on important and MCAZ requirements
-Experience in working with public health institutions (Natpharm, Nmrl, etc)
-Reliable, honest and transparent

Interested candidates meeting the above-mentioned criteria should forward their detailed CVs and motivation letter to: The Admin Co-ordinator, MSF-Belgium, 9 Bantry Road, Belgravia, Harare or by email to: msfocb-harare [at] brussels [dot] msf [dot] org

NB: Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

This government continues to lurch along. It remains mired in the usual policy discord which is likely to worsen as we trudge towards the next election. – Morgan Tsvangirai, in Prime Minister’s Monthly Press Briefing

The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely.
- Lorraine Hansberry

This disclaimer is usually written in hand writing which is illegible and very difficult to read especially for the elderly. Or the sign is displayed where you can’t see it. The main reason that has driven many shops in Zimbabwe to put up this disclaimer is the sale of inferior and substandard goods. Imagine … you buy a pair of shoes in a shop for your grandfather who lives in the rural areas. When you get there, the shoes don’t fit – either the size is too big or small, and when you try to return them the shop owner tells you “sorry we don’t take returns and we do don’t do refunds here”. When you try to dispute that’s when the shop assistant quickly points to the hidden disclaimer. If you win your argument with the shop owner its either you are told to take another product but most of them they don’t give you your money back. Popularly known as “mazhing zhong” these products are being sourced from the East and people are flocking to buy them because of the low prices. The economic hardships have left many Zimbabweans with little option but to buy these products. Zambia’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission outlawed this disclaimer 2011 in order to protect consumers from these fraudulent activities by shop owners who sell defective products.

I have watched over the years how the Zimbabwean government and the responsible authorities around the country watch certain illegal habits grow in cities and towns until they become the normal thing to citizens. And just from out of the blue they pounce on the unaware “law-breaking” citizen with an operation to punish them. Illegal settlements did not just wake up one day and appear. They were there for some time and the City Fathers would see these and leave the residents until the residents felt homely and legal. But in the end they experienced the harsh Operation Murambatsvina.

For years retailers with or without liquor licenses were selling alcohol. In supermarkets alcohol was being sold until the time they closed their doors overriding their liquor licenses which regulates them to sell liquor up until 8pm. But who stopped them? They sold beer until people thought buying beer from a supermarket after 8pm was legal. But again they got slapped with a reminder of the regulation just when business was good and everyone expected to buy beer whenever they wanted.

For years we have been witnessing car sales sprout in and around the city. Name any major road in Harare and you will find a number of car sales. If one needed to open a car sale they only needed some poles and fence and an open area along a major road, and boom they were in the car trading business. But now the Harare City Council is conducting a clean-up exercise to wipe out all illegal car sales. Where has the City Council been while some of these “businesses” have been trading for more than 5 years at specific locations?

Today my nerves raged a bit as I read a story by Chipo Masara, an environment journalist with The Standard newspaper who reported how human waste is among Harare’s “litter” in the CBD. The areas most affected are kombi ranks where the City has failed to provide toilets. For the rank marshals, the hwindis and all vendors in the surrounding areas, using the city center as a ‘bush’ is now seen as normal. To them urinating in containers and throwing them on the street is considered to be ok. So the next thing is we will have the City as dirty as you can imagine and our City Fathers will pounce on us with an Operation Wawetera Papi to fine anyone relieving themselves in the wrong places. I wonder what they are waiting for?

Those in authority should make sure from the onset that people know what is wrong and right.  Is it that our police force that should be helping with the enforcement of laws in the country is diverting most of their energy to political related stuff? To me they seem to be doing a really good job implementing POSA, AIPPA, the Criminal and Codification Act and all the other draconian laws that exist, at the expense of our country’s upkeep and well being as a whole. Such issues need to be addressed as the glory of the Sunshine City will continue getting lost to an extent where trying to get back to how we once were will mean building a new city altogether.