Some reflections from a Kubatana subscriber:

Fellow comrades, it is shameful that we watched helplessly as the politicians manipulated the  Zimbabwe constitutional process. But what could one have done taking into consideration the lessons learned in 2008 where a well known power hungry, octogenarian delayed and denied election results, and used violence to cling to power after being overwhelmingly defeated by people power. Is it that politicians can never be satisfied, that they will never say enough? Or is it that we are so blind to see how much ruin they can do to our lives if we just watch in silence.This month Mugabe will turn 89. My father was forced to retire at 65 by the very government ruled by an 89 year old man, just think of it comrade! The time to act is now. Lets register to vote in our numbers . It is our right to vote. It is one of our powerful voices to change things for the better. Dear comrade the future is in our hands.

 SAPES Policy Dialogue Forum: Politics of sexual economics: situating the “small house” in Zimbabwe

Date: Thursday 14 February 2013
Time: 5pm – 7pm
Venue: SAPES, 4 Deary Avenue, Belgravia, Harare

Presenter: Mildred Mushinga, Doctoral Candidate, University of Pretoria

A ‘small-house’ is a colloquial and derogatory term used in Zimbabwe to describe a woman in a quasi polygamous, long term, informal and usually secretive sexual relationship with a married man. These kinds of relationships have been widely conceptualized within dominant public health and development discourses as part of the broader multiple concurrent sexual partnerships and sexual networks discourses. Such viewpoints have framed these relationships as key drivers of HIV and the women involved as poor, disempowered, lacking sexual agency and engaging in survival transactional sex. These perspectives have focused mainly on the detriments of a permissive, problematic and medicalised sexuality, which however neatly fits into the public health and development panaceas to poverty and HIV. Yet, the evolving ‘small-house’ phenomenon in Zimbabwe entails women from varying economic, social and political backgrounds and hence does not neatly fit into the aforesaid perceptions.

Framing women’s sexual behaviours within contexts where sexuality is seen either as a variant of health or poverty significantly undermines an in-depth and broad understanding of the nuances, complexities and mingling of women’s sexual behaviours, economics, society and politics. In as much as it is a global reality that economic inequalities exist between genders, focusing on one narrow angle of sex research embedded in health and poverty does injustice to the diversity and complexity of sex research. As such, pinning women’s motivations for engaging in ‘small-houses’ to lack of empowerment, sexual agency and poverty has excluded other groups of women -the educated, economically stable, high socio-economic status, seemingly ‘low-risk’ (in terms of HIV) women who knowingly and ‘willingly’ engage in these highly stigmatized sexual relationships. Focusing on these high socio-economic status and educated women can be a useful way to understand women’s sexual behaviours and motivations as they are intertwined with broader changing social, economic, political and cultural milieus in the Zimbabwean context.

All Welcome!

SAPES Seminar Club Membership Forms available at seminar.

Feel free to visit our website at www.sapes.org.zw

Public policy course 2013: A course for leaders in civil society, public and private sectors
Deadline: 15 March 2013

Organized by the Institute Of Peace, Leadership And Governance (IPLG) at Africa University in collaboration with the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA)

This course in public policy, governance and civil society is designed to provide basic fundamentals of public policy analysis to practitioners working in civil society organisations, public service and the private sector. To face the challenges of the new millennium, Africa needs leaders who can inspire those they lead; work and learn collaboratively; transform mindsets; act with integrity; facilitate constructive dialogue, think strategically; and formulate and implement public policy with skill and resolve. Recognising that public policy is best formed and implemented by informed leaders, the course seeks to enhance these leadership skills.  The emphasis of the course is on how public policy maybe viewed as a governance tool essential for political and institutional development.

Partial sponsorship is provided.

For more information on the course and how to apply please click here

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

Finance and Administration Officer: Gender Links Zimbabwe
Deadline: 22 February 2013 (Close of business)

Gender Links, a Southern African NGO based in Johannesburg specialising in gender, media, women’s rights and governance, seeks the services of experienced individual to serve as Administrative Officer for its Country Offices in Zimbabwe. The main task of the incumbent will be to provide accounting and administrative support to the Gender Links Country Office.

Tasks
-Preparation and administration of all program budgets
-Proper control of the supporting documents for payments and financial reports ensuring that all authorisations are done accordingly
-Procurement: Sourcing quotations and ensuring that the procurement policies are adhered to at all times
-Processing payments of all goods and services
-Managing and reconcile petty cash
-Processing of all statutory requirement payments
-Checking program cash expenditure reconciliations
-Cashbook management, including uploading of all documents on sharepoint and performing monthly bank reconciliations
-Banking including liaising with suppliers in relation to payment queries
-General administration, including follow up with suppliers on outstanding issues and attending to queries
-Ensuring that all staff complete timesheets and upload them on HR sharepoint folder
-Filing of all finance and admin documents
-Assisting with managing the incoming and outgoing phone calls
-Performing daily and monthly backups for all the office data
-Assisting with compiling documents for workshops, researches as required by the country office
-Assisting the Country Manager at all times as required

Skills
-Tertiary education with specialised certification in accounting or finance
-At least three years experience in accounting in the NGO sector
-Experience in Pastel accounting software, Microsoft office programmes and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet
-Ability to administer and execute financial processes and transactions
-Good administrative and inter personal skills
-IT proficiency
-Able to handle pressure and is dynamic to change

General conditions
The above post is for an initial period of one year, based in Harare. Competitive remuneration packages will be offered, commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the successful candidates. Applications must be submitted by close of business (COB) Friday 22 February 2013. A letter of motivation, CVs and references should be sent to: hr [at] genderlinks [dot] org [dot] za

Or fax +27 11 622 4732. For further enquiries phone +27 11 622 2877.

Only short listed and successful candidates will be contacted for interviews.

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.

Deputy Country Director: Oxfam
Deadline: 17 February 2013

1 Year contract (with possibility of renewal) based in Harare

Oxfam is a confederation of 14 affiliates located across the world and working in 99 countries. There has been a recent change in the confederation’s architecture, with a move towards single management structures (SMS) in each country focussed on enhancing program impact. In Zimbabwe, the Oxfams have began to implement the joint strategy under SMS, that is expected to result in an improved Oxfam brand, sustained impact through our work and increased cost-effectiveness through cost sharing and ultimately reducing duplications in our work.

The role
Deputy Country Director role is applicable under SMS, where Oxfam has greater impact through multiple implementing affiliates. The Deputy Country Director will drive the delivery of the relevant parts of the program strategy within the Managing Affiliate. The Deputy Country Director will work alongside the Country Director, support the delivery of the Country Strategy through the Managing Affiliate’s program and will be accountable for progress on their part of the Strategy and Operational Plan. The Deputy Country Director will also be responsible for building and leading a dynamic team of programme staff; establishing positive working relationships with various stakeholders, have major budget and management responsibility for delivering these program responsibilities under SMS.

This role requires
-Senior management experience in leading the development and delivery of development, humanitarian and advocacy program strategies
-Experience in leading and motivating multi-disciplinary teams, a high degree of self awareness and an understanding of how to drive and support excellent team performance and individual development
-Experience managing complex organisational transformation processes and relationships with internal and external multi-cultural stakeholders
-Strong financial and analytical skills and the ability to think strategically, including to think beyond the country program context and act within a regional and global framework

To find out more about this role and to apply online, visit www.oxfam.org.uk/jobs and quote ref:INT5833.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization.  Women and under represented groups are encouraged to apply.

This is an urgent recruitment and short-listing will commence soon.
Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Note: Those who applied before for the Associate Country Director position need not to apply.

Public Health Engineer: Oxfam
Deadline: 17 February 2013

5 months contract
Location: Gweru

Oxfam is a confederation of 14 affiliates located across the world and working in 99 countries. There has been a recent change in the confederation’s architecture, with a move towards single management structures (SMS) in each country focussed on enhancing program impact. In Zimbabwe, the Oxfams have began to implement the joint strategy under SMS, that is expected to result in an improved Oxfam brand, sustained impact through our work and increased cost-effectiveness through cost sharing and ultimately reducing duplications in our work.

We are urgently looking for dynamic team player for our Humanitarian programme in Gweru.

-You will support and lead in designing appropriate and acceptable water supply and sanitation facilities in selected wards and contribute to the calculation and completion of bill of quantities, drawings and specifications related to the engineering activities. As part of the Humanitarian Capacity Building Plan, you will help to develop and implement a detailed plan for building the capacity of partner organisations and local institutions in undertaking water, sanitation and hygiene technical and engineering related activities.
-The ideal candidate will have a suitable qualification in any discipline relating to Civil Engineering, Environmental Health and/or Construction Engineering. The candidates will also have strong knowledge of and significant practical field-based experience in either/both water management or sanitation management, particularly of poor rural and urban communities.

The candidate needs to be physically fit for travel, able and willing to travel regularly, at times at short notice locally. You will have strong organization skills, able to work effectively in a difficult environment and be flexible in demanding situations. You will be proficient in English and have good interpersonal and team working skills. Demonstrate a commitment to the overall aims, values, policies and experience of promoting gender equity and diversity and the interests of marginalized people in all aspects of Oxfam’s work.

How to apply
To find out more about this role and to apply online, visit www.oxfam.org.uk/jobs and quote ref: INT5984.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization.  Women and under represented groups are encouraged to apply.