ZimRights yesterday published their daily bulletin evoking the political temperature towards a Zimbabwean ‘Election’.  In their bulletin, ZimRights had this to say: “Recent reports have revealed that ZANU PF said that it is prepared to go for an uncontested election even if other political parties refuse to participate in elections – a repetition of the 2008 June run off.” This concurs with The Herald’s headline of today where President Mugabe speaks on elections and says ‘No to polls delays’.

ZimRights asks: “Is Zimbabwe ready for an election in 2011?’ Have we recovered from the trauma o post 2008 elections?’ “Who can guarantee Zimbabweans a free and fair election?’

A Kubatana subscriber shared with us her experience of going to get her monthly supply of ARVs:

Yesterday morning I was at Parirenyatwa Family Care Clinic (the Opportunistic Infections [OI] Clinic) to pick up my monthly supply of ARVs. As is the norm there were many of us there by 8am – the staff always insist that all patients be there at 7.30am. At 8am one of the counsellors came to the front of the group and asked anyone with a chorus or song. The request for a song means a Christian song as it is the start of a Christian devotion. I am not sure if this is a hospital regulation – and I always wonder about people of other faiths and what they make of this. However, I think whether they like it or not, they have to go through with it as they need the free life-saving and life-long antiretroviral medicines which are unaffordable for many citizens. There were two more songs after the first one, then the counsellor asked if any one patient would volunteer to pray. After the prayer, the counsellor asked if any volunteer wanted to share their story on how being on antiretroviral medicines had assisted them. One woman among the patients stood up and shared how she started antiretroviral therapy in 2005 when she was very ill, and that now she was fit and able to do all her work and chores at home. After the woman finished speaking the counsellor asked the patients to state one thing they had learnt from the story. A few people made some contributions.  The counsellor asked for another volunteer to give a testimony. When no one volunteered she asked for one adolescent to speak. When none of the adolescents volunteered, she just picked on one girl and asked her to speak about her experience with ARVs. The girl seemed very reluctant, but ended up speaking very briefly and in a very low voice. This particular picking on adolescents left a very bad taste in my mouth. The adolescents were highly outnumbered by adults in the reception hall. I felt it was not appropriate to put them on the spot like that, but rather have them share among themselves in their own space. The counsellor is supposed to be a professional and should not coerce people into sharing when they are not ready. It does not matter that we are all in the same clinic for the same condition – our levels of emotional preparedness to tackle personal issues in the public arena are all different, and there is need to acknowledge some people will never get to that level.

MT, Harare

Please share this opportunity with your friends.

Finance Assistant (Database Maintenance): ActionAid
Deadline: 1300 hours on 24 May 2011

Location: Harare
Contract Duration: up to December 2011
Expected Start Date: 1st June 2011

ActionAid is an international anti-poverty agency working in over 40 countries, taking sides with poor people to end poverty and injustice together.

Purpose of The Job
The Finance Assistant plays a significant role in capturing financial data and processing of payments to clients in line with AAIZ financial management and accountability guidelines.

Key Strategic Objectives
Capture data within agreed deadlines
Timely reconciliations
Preparation for audits

Principal Accountabilities
Posts transactions & Journals in SUN as and when they occur, and follow up & processing of accountabilities.
Reconcile and monitor staff debtors’ balances.
Maintenance of a sound filing system of all financial documents: Payment vouchers, copies of contracts, correspondence etc
Stamps processed transactions.
Custodian of fuel coupons.
Assist in internal and external audits.
Comes up with quarterly key result areas based on this job description as well as departmental and organizational objectives.

Education
Diploma in accounting

Experience
At least one year experience in the accounting field.

Other requirements and competences
Knowledge of computerized accounting packages, SUN added advantage
Sharp analytical skills
Ability to work under pressure
Ability to work with minimum supervision, but as part of a team

A detailed Job Profile will be made available to short listed candidates.

Applications: To apply submit your curriculum vitae with an application letter to Human Resources, ActionAid International, 16 York Avenue, Newlands, Harare or jobs [dot] Zimbabwe [at] actionaid [dot] org

Although we value all applications, we can only respond to short listed candidates.

NB: Please note that this is a NATIONAL position. Whilst all applicants will be assessed strictly on their individual merits, qualified women are especially encouraged to apply.

In an email chillingly entitled It Has Started, a Zimbabwean living in rural Chipinge shared with Kubatana this news:

It has started all over again in the rural areas of Chipinge. You can see some youth running and singing chimurenga songs and you can easily tell that the war is about to begin all over again. We want journalists here in Chipinge. People are being killed without any recognition. We have never had our President Tsvangirai coming to adress people, yet Chipinge is one of the few places with more than 80% real change suporters. Can you be our mouth to our honourable PM.

We forwarded this email to the MDC.

Recently Christopher Hitchens writing on the revolution in Egypt in Vanity Fair suggested that “Egypt is not a country that has an army, but an army that has a country.”

Sounds similar to Zimbabwe especially when we see headlines like Zimbabwe military chiefs plot to take power.

Mugabe has a magic stick that makes women go weak at the knees, according to an article on NewZimbabwe.com. Perhaps he trawled the Mail and Guardian classifieds and came across this advert:

Mama Makeba and Baba Madiba

Pay after the job is done! They do jobs with 100% guarantee that you won’t regret.

-    Take out bad luck and tokoloshes
-    Open a big business/company within a year
-    Magic wallet/stick (pay every week)
-    Rats/short boys (pay every month)
-    Bring back lost lover same day (pay after results)
-    S/he be yours permanently
-    Penis enlargement all sizes

Don’t stress yourself. Call now!