Kubatana! Better days are coming … they’re called Saturday and Sunday. We’ve got a question for ZEC: were there no spoiled ballots in this election? Yes, people are muttering, why doesn’t MT ever have a Plan B other than going to court. Simba Makoni has said that assisted voting was used to intimidate voters. ZEC has said that nearly 305,000 voters were turned away during last week’s elections and 207,000 voters were “assisted” to cast their ballot. Zanu PF is up 61 seats from 2008 and MDC is down 51 seats from 2008. Pressure has continued to mount for South African President Jacob Zuma to back the call for an independent audit of last week’s elections in Zimbabwe. Sisonke Msimang writing for the Daily Maverick believes that: As currently practiced, African standards, certainly in respect to elections and democratic governance, basically suck. Aid to Africa must have a sell-by date, says Donald Kaberuka head of African Development Bank: conscious that strong economic numbers alone are not enough, he also stresses the importance of inclusive growth and among the keys to inclusive growth is the management of natural resources, which are a significant driver of economic prosperity. Note: a good reason why Zanu PF must use funds from diamonds to raise the standard of living of all Zimbabweans. Johannesburg, the commercial capital of South Africa, is home to far more dollar millionaires than any other city in Africa. Cairo and Lagos are runners up. Officials in Kenya investigating the massive airport fire that gutted the arrival hall at Nairobi’s main airport said Thursday that first responders looted electronics, a bank and an ATM during and after the blaze. Hundreds gathered in Nairobi yesterday to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Al-Qaeda attacks on the US embassy. There was singing, preaching and candle lighting as survivors recalled the tragedy that claimed 223 lives and injured thousands.Campaigners pressing Barclays to keep open cash transfer businesses to poorer countries have presented a petition to Downing Street signed by 25,500 people, including Olympic gold winner Mo Farah. (Perhaps the MDC should get a petition signed by his turned away voters and present that to the Big Boys?). South African jockey S’manga Khumalo who first saw a horse aged 14 won country’s biggest race last month after 116 consecutive years of white winners. And finally a Nigerian police officer gets the sack less than 24 hours after secretly filmed footage apparently showing him trying to extort money from a motorist went viral. Come on Zimbabwe, we can do it too, snap them to sack them.

Well
the AU and SADAC have endorsed this strange charade!

Congratulations pour in from the region:
Zuma, after all his posturing, positioning and promises
of a position of morality and justice
welcomes the old liberation father back with open arms

A complete denial of the voices of the people
who lined up in trusting, peaceful queues
often patiently joining new lines in other places
as their registration areas had been changed
resignedly being turned away
unable to get transport

unwittingly validating this farce of freedom
lending a complete mockery to the democratic process

today is the tomorrow of our outrage:
‘how dare they ?’

seeking places to point our blame:
‘why haven’t ‘they’ done something?’
‘taken to the streets?’
‘demanded a re-run?’

voicing our self-condemnation:
‘ we Zimbabweans are always like this – we are so  passive’
‘we don’t stand together’
‘we can’t fight’
‘we should have known’
‘this time we had hope’
‘we are too tired to do this again’

and our fear:
‘there will be reprisals’  
as we hear the first reports of displacements of people from their homes

In the face of such a blatant daylight robbery
we easily slip back to where we started
a sense of despair
a place of fear
and fight and blame of team A versus team B
winner and looser
the good and the bad

back to seeking solutions from an old reactions
which birthed the source of the problem
a frustrated  call  to the young men and mothers and fathers
back into the fray
to once again be beaten and assaulted and imprisoned

but as tomorrow becomes tomorrow
we begin to see that situations around us have changed…
we are NOT the same
we are not back there where we were before

we have learned so much in this time

we have finally understood that political leaders and parties are not the source of our redemption
(for the abuse of power and abandonment of the people comes from the best of our heroes)

we have learned that poverty and violence, and witnessing of violence, is destroying our lives
and most particularly those of our children
inflicting on them the battle wounds of yesterday

today is the tomorrow
when we learn that it is us
who must take responsibility
no longer to wait for our recovery to come from the hands of unknown redeemers
to mend our spirits/our places/our spaces

and today
we remember that this work has already begun
everywhere …

this time was different
we have recorded every step of this unlawful process
we have voiced our findings and spoken our frustrations
we have used public media
we have written of the inconsistencies and travesties
spoken our truth
been heard across the world

this time,
we are different
for in the yesterdays of enduring the hardships of unemployment and displacement
we began to come together again as ordinary people
began witness our own stories
and heal ourselves and our communities

we have been to workshops learning of our civic rights/human rights/women’s rights/food rights
learned the language of conflict resolution and sustainable dialogue

we have begun to take care of our own AIDS victims
begun circles of support to take care of our orphaned children
begun community gardens growing organic vegetables

we have begun the work in small circles of disabled women recycling plastic into wonderful bags
and in large community circles with our leaders from across the ‘political divide’
circles where headmen no longer sit outside/above his people – but on the rim of the same circle
we have held dance days and community days
and  days with the youth from both parties
and we have seen that we have been able to cross the cracks and gaps and deep divides
that have disabled us

and seen ourselves grow into wider people
able to look at things from a longer perspective

perhaps today is the tomorrow we have been waiting for
as we walked  through the interminable grey cloud
learning there is no real A and B
but a mixed blessing of dark and light

looking for a way to live the responsibility of empowered people

looking for a way to walk into tomorrow

The elections in Zimbabwe weren’t violent but it does not mean that they were peaceful. People can be silent but it should not be concluded that they are at peace. Just like during the times of the slave trade; the slaves’ singing was always consciously misconstrued by the English parliament to mean that they were rejoicing in their captivity yet they were doing so at the terror of a lash. Peace is a sacred and noble situation, which is intertwined to freedom. Silence is reverenced for a leader only when either he is loved or feared.

In Zimbabwe, our fear is a world secret, which is unfortunately unscrupulously taken to mean love therefore our silence, means peace. The people of Zimbabwe need freedom rather than fear to achieve peace. Peace in Zimbabwe has always been an induced situation to push an agenda of stealing political offices.

The people of Zimbabwe have been telling this story of repression and duress in our country for quite a long time now and it is just unfortunate that the world has now grown weary of empathy. The Prime Minister nailed it last week that the world stance now is shifting to legitimising the illegitimate. With the Chinese already leading the looting of resources from Zimbabwe, the West has felt the pressure to deal with and find ways to legitimise the corruptible kleptocrats for them to join in the looting spree of our heritage. It is hustler politics now, the days of recognising democratic and legitimate governments are fast petering away before they even show their full light in the world political play field. The world is grasping opportunistic politics now, like hustlers, countries are making more money when others are weakening. For media, I understand that capitalism does not allow them to keep on singing the same song of repression in Zimbabwe; even if its the fact on the ground, their viewership will be compromised. For heads of states to do the same like what is happening now with Zimbabwe; I fear that these hustlers will ruin the livelihoods of us the people and our children in this country.

The tantrums of First Ladies are actually an indication of gender powerlessness. They  have no record of their own, no power of their own, they are just there because their husbands are up there. Many try to convert executive idleness into a full time job by intruding into all kinds of public spaces to remind us that they are there. That’s why some of them assume they are leaders of other women  in a kind of delusionary division of labour with their husbands who command the whole country. They are paranoid around female members of the government. – From a 2004 installment by the late Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem.

Hey! Need a job? Want to work in the NGO/development sector in Zimbabwe? Check out the job vacancies below and apply today. If you want to receive regular civic and human rights information, together with NGO job vacancies and other opportunities like scholarships by getting our regular email newsletter, please email join [at] kubatana [dot] net

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer: Zimbabwe Aids Prevention Project Department Of Community Medicine University Of Zimbabwe
Deadline: 8 July 2013

Based in Mashonaland Central Province

The Zimbabwe AIDS Prevention Project, a Department of Community Medicine, University of Zimbabwe project has funding to conduct a PMTCT program in Mashonaland Central Province.  The program is aimed at strengthening health facilities as well as increasing ANC uptake through enhancing community level knowledge of PMTCT.  PATH is funding the program through Population Council, South Africa.

The M&E officer will be in charge of all monitoring and evaluation data collection activities, survey work and analytical sessions for the ARISE PMTCT program. The M&E officer should be a team player expected to work closely with MHCW, ZAPP-UZ and Population Council.

Responsibilities and key duties
-Conducting Provincial and district training on M&E for HW and Community Mobilizers
-Review collate and analyze data from sites for accuracy and completeness
-Prepare quarterly progress reports
-Liase with NMRL to ensure EID test and results reach the Laboratory and facilities
-Participate in tools development
-To perform any other M&E tasks as assigned.

Qualifications and attributes
-Minimum degree in statistics, demography or public health
-3 years experience in setting up and implementing M&E activities for HIV/AIDS, RH or MCH
-Knowledge of operational research in HIV and Reproductive health programming
-Highly motivated with strong interpersonal and communication skills
-Proficiency in using the following packages SPSS, STATA and MS ACCESS
-Willingness to travel in the Province

To apply
Please send your application including detailed CV, copies of qualifications to the Zimbabwe AIDS Prevention-University of Zimbabwe, by post, email or hand delivery using the following address:

The Project Coordinator (Arise Project)
ZAPP-UZ
92 Prince Edward Street
Milton Park
Harare

Or email: hr [at] zappuz [dot] co [dot] zw

Please note that only short listed candidates will be notified.

Human Resources Coordinator: World Education
Deadline: 8 July 2013

Job Category: Mid-Level Management
Department/Group: Finance & Human Resources    
Reports to: Director, Finance & HR
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe     
Position Type: Fixed Term Contract
Grade level: 3    

Purpose of position
Under the supervision of the Director, Finance& HR responsible, for providing human resources services in support of the country program.

Major responsibilities
-Assist in the development, implementation and review of the HR strategy and ensure consistency with overall country program strategy
-Assist in the regular review and roll out of HR policies, employment policies and procedures compliance to WEI standards and the country’s national Labour law requirements
-In collaboration with managers, assist in the development of staffing and recruitment plan ensuring that each team is staffed appropriately according to need and funding availability
-Assist in the design, development and implementation of the overall staff learning and development strategy
-Ensure staff hiring is executed efficiently and in compliance with the WEI’s policy and national Labour law   Ensure that pre-employment requirements are submitted and a personnel file with documentation according to HR checklist is opened for new staff on a timely basis
-Ensure that all new staff have undergone orientation and on-boarding
-Ensures the timely and efficient payroll preparation with accurate data
-Ensures the proper and accurate tracking of leave
-Assist in the periodic salary review and analysis, and review and revision of new salary structure, as appropriate
-Ensure the timely processing of new contract, contract extension, staff transfer, promotions, acting capacity, and other change of status
-Manage processes related to disciplinary actions, staff separation, termination, including liaising with the Ministry of labour
-Respond to employee relations related queries and provide service to all HR related inquiries and requests on a timely manner
-Conduct regular assessment for all field offices; assess the filing systems/HR documentation in each field site and undertake immediate corrective measures

Qualifications and education requirements
-A degree in Human Resources or a related field is required
-Post graduate qualification in HR or administration
-A minimum of 3 years’ professional experience in a similar position required
-Experience with USAID funded programs is preferred
-Demonstrated people management experience an added advantage
-Knowledge of local labor laws
-Fluency in English, Shona and Ndebele

To apply
Interested applicants should apply to: recruitment [at] worlded [dot] co [dot] zw submitting a motivational letter and current CV.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

When people in Egypt kicked out Mubarak they hoped the Muslim Brotherhood was the change they needed. The word ‘change’ fueled the protests and the revolution was won. The same happened in Tunisia – Ben Ali was chucked out because change was needed. One year later the Muslim Brothers in Egypt are faced with a 48-hour decree to meet people’s demands, or resign. Defiantly, President Morsi is claiming he was democratically elected so he will serve until the end of his term. This might correct according to the constitution of Egypt but if the people no longer want him, why would Mr Morsi hang on to power. The military is playing hero and has issued a decree for President Morsi to meet the people’s demands or be frog marched out of the presidential palace. Egypt expected change in the year that Morsi has been in office but his government has failed the test. In order to safe guard the revolution from being stolen by the Muslim brothers in broad daylight, Egyptians are back in Tahrir Square for a second revolution.