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.

Organisational Development Adviser: Progressio
Deadline: 31 January 2013

Partner: The National Faith-Based Council of Zimbabwe (NFBCZ)
Placement length: Three-month placement (with the possibility of renewal)
Please note that for this placement we are only able to consider applicants who are fluent in Shona and/or Ndebele and able to start before 31 March 2013.

Progressio has been leading the way on practical international development issues for more than forty years. Whether through placing skilled professionals overseas, or in our policy and advocacy achievements, Progressio has a track record of making a difference. We work with people of all faiths and none.

The Progressio Development Worker (DW) will work as an Organisational Development Adviser with the NFBCZ in the development, capacity building and implementation of its Gender-Based Violence programme. S/he will provide technical support in the development and implementation of organisational development systems to enable the NFBCZ to effectively carry out gender-empowerment programmes, psychosocial and counselling support programmes for victims of gender violence, policy analysis, advocacy, and documentation and information dissemination on SGBV, HIV and AIDS and related issues from a faith perspective.

For more information and to apply, please click here

Southern Africa Sub-regional Funding Officer: Progressio
Deadline: 31 January 2013

Location: Harare, Zimbabwe, with occasional visits to Malawi and potential visits to Zambia and South Africa
Full-time, two-year contract
Salary of USD$2,000 gross per month

Please note that the successful candidate will be required to speak and write fluent English and Shona and/or Ndebele.

We are looking for a highly motivated and resourceful individual with a genuine commitment and track record of fundraising for international development. The post holder will play a leading role in increasing the funding for Progressio’s programmes and advocacy work in the Southern Africa Sub-region.

The post holder will be responsible for researching new funding sources in the region and beyond, preparing specific funding bids/reports for submission to institutional donors (this will involve liaising with the Fundraising Team, plus other staff in the UK, and in the Sub-region), donor relationship management, and maintaining up-to-date information systems.

The successful candidate should have a degree or appropriate qualification in a relevant discipline, and fundraising training.

For more information and to apply, please click here

“Only if a coach is to sit on a national selection panel then that person should have international experience, in terms of paragraph 2.2 of the directive”

This directive has infuriated a lot people especially those in the sporting fraternity particularly those who have ambitions to coach or sit on selection panels of national sports. This directive came from the Sports and Recreation Commission and has sucked in the Minister of Sports of Sports and Culture, Senator David Coltart.

The reason why the directive has been seen to be racist in nature is the fact that there are some sporting activities which here in Zimbabwe have been regarded to be for the minority and for the elite. This was due to the fact that it was very rare (and it is still) to see at swimming pool at a government school in Chitungwiza. I remember when I was in primary in my hometown Chitungwiza, there was only one school with a cricket pitch. Every Friday all primary schools in Chitungwiza would gather at St Aidan for a cricket knock out tournament.

Given such a scenario of scarce resources how would do you then expect to groom players who can play these kinds of sports at international level so that one day they can sit on the national selector’s panel? Should we keep on blaming the whites for making the sports elite especially after almost 33 years of independence?

The alleged row at Zimbabwe Cricket seems to have been sparked by the Minister’s directive and some black players who have been sitting on the Cricket Zimbabwe’s national selection panel feel the directive is targeted at them. By throwing in racist allegations these selectors are trying to play to the gallery so that they receive some political sympathy while covering up for the poor results. Regardless of color nobody wants to support losers and that’s the reason why the nation has supported Kirsty Coventry and the Black family without mentioning racism.

My suggestion to the SRC directive is for the government to invest in sports so that no sporting activity will be regarded to be for the minority or elite. Sports have become a source of livelihood and many dreams and aspirations have been to put halt because of lack of resources.

Development Outreach and Communications Specialist: USAID/Zimbabwe
Deadline: 23 January 2013 (5pm)

(DOC) Position
Grade: FSN-11
(US$42,311 – US$61,351 basic salary grade range)

The US Mission in Zimbabwe provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.

USAID/Zimbabwe (hereafter the Mission) manages the USG development program in Zimbabwe, with an annual program budget of approximately $130 million.  The Mission portfolio includes a broad range of program activities.  The DOC supports the Mission to achieve its objectives by strategically producing and disseminating public information about USAID activities and by supporting the Communication Specialists of Implementing Partners (IPs) to define and achieve their communication goals. The DOC is responsible for collecting, investigating, and distributing information associated with USAID programs in Zimbabwe, and serves as the primary Mission point of contact for information requests.  The DOC reports to the Program Officer and/or his/her designee, and collaborates closely with the Mission Director, DO Team Leaders, and IPs to develop and implement the overall Mission communications strategy.  The DOC facilitates information access and sharing within the Mission, amongst USAID partners, as well as collaborates with other Mission agencies to ensure that personnel are properly apprised of USAID public activities and projects.  The DOC serves as principal liaison with the USAID/Washington Bureau of Legislative and Public Affairs (LPA) and remains in close communication with other USAID/Washington stakeholders.

For more information and details on how to apply, please click here

Regional WASH Coordinator: Oxfam GB
Deadline: 15 January 2013

Oxfam is a global movement of people who share the belief that, in a world rich in resources, poverty isn’t inevitable.

Public health (water and sanitation hygiene or WASH) plays a central role in the poverty continuum of Southern Africa. WASH is key in addressing issues of HIV, food security, livelihoods and emergencies. Oxfam in Southern Africa through its public health programmes in the region has an opportunity to increase the scale of our public health work, and more importantly to increase the impact of the programme, by ensuring that it is structured to most appropriately respond to the real underlying problems and to ensure that it integrates more effectively with other existing programmes and complements the implementation of WASH related policies in the countries and the region..

Oxfam GB seeks to appoint a Regional WASH Coordinator, based in Harare, Zimbabwe, to play a pivotal role in cementing water and sanitation as a core component of the region’s programme and will ensure that Oxfam continues to maintain key competencies in access to public health and emergency WASH preparedness and response.

The Regional WASH Coordinator will be responsible for leading regional WASH programme development and implementation support and regional WASH emergency preparedness and response.

This is an exciting opportunity to undertake pioneering work and innovation in humanitarian as well as development contexts working in both urban and rural settings. This is also an opportunity to inform and influence Oxfam’s regional and global WASH priorities in areas such as risk reduction, resilience and integrating and aligning WASH with Oxfam’s livelihood and gender work. Oxfam in Southern Africa has upgraded this position to reflect the importance and commitment to these expectations.

Requirements
-Master’s degree in water engineering (or similar) and / or equivalent technical experience and training in the design and implementation of water hygiene systems in Africa
-Demonstrate sound experience in leading public health programmes, programme policy and strategy development as well as the monitoring and management of large budgets
-Experience in assessing and responding to emergencies is essential
-Willing to travel up to 50% of the time.

Click here for a detailed job description and information on how to apply for this position (quote ref: INT5881).

Oxfam is an equal opportunities employer. It particularly encourages applications from people living with HIV and AIDS, people with disabilities, women and previously disadvantaged people.

Oxfam GB can only accept applications from qualified candidates with the right to live and work in Zimbabwe.

The news from Senegal – elections were held against the incumbent. He lost. And he has left office.

Try as he might to stay, the people want him gone, and he is gone.

He changed the Constitution to say no third term, and then stood for a third term. Which he was legally entitled to. His first term in office, when he changed the Constitution, did not count against the two term limit. So said his court. So he was quite correct, he could stand.

Understand; correct is a legal term. It means legal or illegal under the law. Things are correct or incorrect, according to what is written in the statutes. Right and wrong though, are moral terms. Some things are right, and some things are wrong. We know these things if we look inside ourselves. Things like murder, theft, adultery. They are wrong. We ‘know’ that. They are also against the law, which makes them incorrect, but we know they are wrong.

So, the sitting President of Senegal ran for election, which he was correct to do. However, he was wrong. And the people told him that. They had the ability, and they had the power, to say “no”. And they did. And he left. That is democracy.

Next door, in Mali, there is a coup. The army supplanted the elected government, in order to give themselves the power and resources to fight the Tuareg rebels (fellow Malians). However, it seems from reports that while the army was looting in Bamako, the capital, the rebels took some towns in the north! So you have to wonder, why did they really stage a coup? This army captain and his buddies. While they do not have the strength to fight the Tuareg, they also do not have the brains to keep themselves from stealing.

Either way it seems democracy is the best answer. While it certainly is not perfect, it certainly has it’s short-comings and faults, democracy is the best course. Even if it is only ‘least worst’. Even if the only reason is you cannot blame yourself for what went wrong. Under democracy you make the decisions, you make them work, and you live with the consequences. Under democracy, you cannot blame or find scapegoats amongst the political elite, the captains of industry, the securocrats, foreign capital, etc. It is you. You run your country.

Young Voices Network yesterday launched their “Seven Point Manifesto On Ending Homelessness” at their offices. In doing this Young Voices Network, hopes to enrich the public debate about Operation Restore Order with considered recommendations sourced from those Zimbabweans who were directly affected. Young Voices Network also hopes to engage with policy makers on the issues that affect you in Hatcliffe and Hatcliffe extension and influence the political and policy reform processes.

Speaking at the launch Young Voices Network Co-ordinator Tayiona Sanagurai said that the Manifesto was a culmination of a theatre for development dialogue. The process involved the youth in Hatcliffe creating a drama, which was performed for residents of their community, followed by an open discussion. Mr Sanangurai cautioned however, that the Manifesto was not a panacea for ending homelessness.

“We are trying to get people to look at homelessness” he said, “[the Manifesto] provides pointers to policymakers.”

Included in the presenting panel were two outspoken youths, Brave and Patience, from Hatcliffe extension. Amidst several contributions from members of the audience that the youths should ‘find projects to generate income and occupy their time’, Brave detailed why this was not possible. He recounted how he and a colleague had managed to start a potato cultivation project, but when they needed to acquire funding from CBZ to grow their business, they were rejected, as they were unable to supply proof of residence.

“There are no water or electricity services where we live. So we don’t have the bills.”

While Hatcliffe Extension residents have been issued lease agreements by the government, banks refuse to recognise these as legal documents. Thus youths in Hatcliffe are unable to open bank accounts or obtain loans.

Mr. Sanagurai elaborated on the difficult situation of Hatcliffe Extension residents, adding that several municipalities, including Harare City Council and Ministry of Local Government claimed jurisdiction of the area. This state of contention left residents without any proper representation of their interests. “Government uses uncoordinated and inconsistent policies, which leads to a lack of accountability,” he said.

The Manifesto asks the government to create a policy environment that guarantees the rights of citizens to housing, health services, and the benefits of full citizenship. It asks that policymakers commit to the goal of addressing the after effects of Operation Murambatsvina, and ensure that government departments at all levels work together effectively, and with the voluntary sector to prevent homelessness.