A wise woman my mum, has always told me that short cuts have short falls. It is easier do things the long way and not skip a process than to go back to stuff you should have done long back she would say.

I have come to believe her because of events on Wednesday when my colleague and I at Kubatana were doing our monthly delivery of the vendor wrapping sheets. This is an exceptional one of a kind in a realm of its own project in Zimbabwe I must say. The project seeks to give vendors a space to be heard and also be given information on issues that concern the everyday person on the ground.

We decided to take a short cut that was to lead us straight to Epworth in no amount of time. And there it was. This big pothole turned into a little dam in the middle of the road. Turning back was no option because before the dam site the car we were in almost got stuck in the mud. In fact we had left a couple of men trying frantically and in vain to lift a truck that had been swallowed by the mud. So we decided to move forward and brave it out. Thanks to our lucky stars we managed to get out of that little dam alive and kicking.

I would like to say to my mum I am absolutely positive that when you used to say short cuts don’t pay off, your words got in with the ear and left with the other. I guess experience is the best teacher. So I would like to repeat the words of a wise woman and say in this case short cuts have short falls that have potholes turned into little dams.

Anyone thinking of using that road take it from me shortcuts have short falls and I have evidence.

Zimbabwe is one of 13 countries on the United States’ “Tier 3″ human trafficking list, according to a report of the Washington DC-based US Department of State. On this list Zimbabwe joins other countries Burma, Congo, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Kuwait, Iran, Mauritania, North Korea, Papa New Guinea, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. This is according to the Trafficking in Persons Report of 2010.

Nations on the Tier 3 list are those, “whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so“, as set by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 enacted by the US. Meanwhile, 30 countries have been listed under the agency’s “Tier 1″ and Nigeria is the only African country. “Tier 1″ is distinguished to be those countries whose governments fully comply with the TVPA. They include Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, South Korea, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Taiwan, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the US among others.

According to the US State Department, Zimbabwe is a, “country of origin, transit and destination for men, women and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically conditions of forced labour and forced prostitution.”

Zimbabwean women and girls had been subjected to sexual exploitation and forced into prostitution in countries like South Africa, Zambia, China, Egypt, United Kingdom and Canada.

“Men, women and children from Bangladesh, Somalia, India, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique are trafficked through Zimbabwe en route to South Africa,” it said.

It also held that, “Zimbabwean men, women and children from rural areas are subjected to forced agricultural labour and domestic servitude.”

“Young men and boys are forced by Zimbabweans government security forces to work in the diamond fields of Marange district.”

“Women and men are lured into exploitative labour situations in Angola, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and South Africa with false promises of jobs in construction, information technology and hospitality,” it also said. A full report on Zimbabwe is available from UNHCR here.

Countries in “Tier 3″ have been restricted assistance from the US under section 110(d) of the TVPA of 2000 and the US Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons have made these clear. The President has determined to restrict assistance for Burma, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Eritrea, Iran, and Zimbabwe. The report says, “The United States will not provide any non-humanitarian, non trade-related assistance to the Governments of Cuba, the DPRK, Eritrea, and Iran, and will not provide certain non-humanitarian, non-trade-related assistance to the Governments of Burma and Zimbabwe, until such governments comply with the Act’s minimum standards to combat trafficking or make significant efforts to do so.”

The agency cited that, “Zimbabwean law does not prohibit all forms of trafficking in persons, though existing statutes outlaw forced labour and numerous forms of sexual exploitation.” International Organisation of Migration (IOM) in Zimbabwe has this year launched a new project titled “Building National Response Capacity to Combat Human Trafficking in Zimbabwe” to assist Zimbabwe to craft comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation and strengthen the national referral system for protection and reintegration.

This just in from NANGO: The director and two researchers of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum have been taken into custody at Harare Central Police Station. They are being questioned regarding research they were conducting in Highfields about transitional justice.

Earlier today, the Youth Forum offices were raided by police, who questioned why the organisation is encouraging young people to register to vote.

Read this statement from the Youth Forum:

Youth Forum Offices Attacked, Closed

Six unidentified men, suspected to be state agents, stormed the Youth Forum Offices today demanding to know why the organization is encouraging young people to register to vote. The attack is a direct reaction to the Youth Forum’s program where it’s encouraging young people to register to vote by sending SMSs.

The suspected state agents stormed the offices and started unplugging the organisation’s computers and laptops from the main power supply violently saying they were looking for what they termed ‘Mass Communications Equipment’ that the organization is using to send SMSs to young potential voters. After realising that they could not find such equipment at the Youth Forum’s Headquarters, they became very violent and started pushing around furniture and equipment and shoving around the organization’s secretariat. They were so violent that they frightened a few of the organization’s youth members who had come to the offices with complaints that they were failing to register as voters due to a lot of bureaucracy.

The men demanded to know why the organization is sending SMSs urging young people to vote when the country’s presidents has not yet declared the date of elections. They said these SMSs are causing a lot of problems as the Registrar General’s Office is now clogged with a lot of young men and women who want to register as voters. They also insulted the organization’s national coordinator with words that cannot be spelt out in public notifications like this one. They left after grabbing some literature from the offices and threatened the Youth Forum secretariat with unspecified action if the SMSs continue to reach its targeted audience. They threatened to come back with more arsenals to ‘deal with the organization’. For the concerns of security, the offices of the organization have been temporarily closed until the situation normalises. The national coordinator has visited the offices of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights for legal advice on the matter.

The Youth Forum is currently carrying out a campaign to urge young people to go out and register as voters. The campaign consists of a number of activities that will ensure that most youths become registered voters and will cast their ballots in any election. Among the activities being carried out in the campaign includes the sending of SMSs to an average of 18,000 youths at least three times every week urging them to take their National Identification Cards and proof of residence and go to their nearest Registrar’s office and register to vote. It is these SMSs that have resulted in a lot of youths visiting the responsible offices in their droves trying to register as voters. The Youth Forum is also concerned by the number of youths who are being turned away because of lack of documentation including the death certificates of parents and grandparents. We would like to urge the registrar Generals office to reconsider certain requirements for registering as voters as these are disadvantaging a lot of youths from registering.

We would also like to categorically state that no amount of intimidation or harassment will deter the resolve of the organization from encouraging its members to register as voters. The youths shall register to vote and will vote come election time and no amount of such threats and coercion will stop the youths from voting as this is their democratic right that cannot be taken away from them. The actions by these suspected state agents should be condemned with the strongest terms possible as it only undermines the efforts by the government to democratise the country.

Hello out there.  Work in and for Zimbabwe. Help grow our nation. Check out the vacancies below. If you’d like to receive this sort of information by email each week drop us a note saying “subscribe” to info [at] kubatana [dot] net

Immigration Integrity Manager: Australian Embassy – Harare
Deadline: 14 February 2011 (4pm)

The Australian Embassy is seeking applications from persons interested in employment as Immigration Integrity Manager.

Employment will initially be based on a 6-month contract. After completing a satisfactory six-month probationary period, incumbents will be offered a further 12-month contract. Monthly salary is $2,000-2,350.

The Australian Embassy is an equal opportunity employer. The Australian Embassy is a smoke free environment.

Duty Statement

Duties may include some or all of the following:
- Conduct immigration integrity checks, interviews and site visits
- Analyse statistical and other information to assist visa officers in Pretoria to detect and prevent fraud in the visa caseload
- Liaise with Australian government officers in a range of global locations, the Zimbabwean government, international organisations, other diplomatic missions and other stakeholders
- Undertake research and analysis to develop risk profiles and other resources for visa officers
- Examine and verify passports and other documents
- Service delivery to visa clients
- Provide support and quality control for the Australian Visa Application Centre, Harare
- Undertake relevant travel within and outside Zimbabwe
- Lead, motivate and develop a small team
- Manage team workloads and drive constant improvement in work processes

Selection Criteria:

Essential
- Highly developed written and oral communication skills in the English language, including the ability to undertake research and prepare analytical reports
- Ability to perform under pressure and independently manage a large, complex workload
- Excellent interpersonal skills, incorporating a proficiency for liaison and team leadership
- Capacity to examine and report on travel documents, or to rapidly acquire this skill
- Ability to conduct investigations into complex immigration fraud
- The ability to manage a varied workload with limited supervision

Desirable
- Previous experience in an office environment using Microsoft Office Excel
- Tertiary qualifications
- Fluency in Shona and/or Ndebele

If you are interested in being considered for any positions, please apply in writing to either the email or the postal address detailed below.

Applications must include:
- “Application for position: DIAC Integrity Manager” in the subject line of the e-mail or at the top of the front page of a paper application.
- A statement of claims (three pages maximum) addressing the selection criteria.
- A current CV including work and education history and references from both your current employer and most recent previous employer.  Your CV must provide an e-mail address and contact numbers.
- Proof of your right to reside and work in Zimbabwe.

Applicants Who Do Not Include A Statement Of Claims against the selection criteria will not be considered. Please note that a statement of claims refers to your examples of achievements or work undertaken in relation to a specific selection criterion as stated above.

Applications should be addressed to:

The Recruitment Officer – DIAC Australian Embassy PO Box 4541 Harare

Or e-mail your application to hr.pretoria [at] dfat [dot] gov [dot] au

Please note that late applications will not be considered. Only those applicants who are short-listed for interview will be contacted about the outcome of the selection process.

Four (4) positions: Merlin Zimbabwe
Deadline: 15 February 2011

Applications are invited to fill in four (4) job openings, which have arisen at Merlin Zimbabwe. These positions are only open to Zimbabwean nationals.

1. Finance Assistant – Ref.021101

Responsibilities: this position is responsible for making all disbursement for properly authorized expenditures updating the accounting records, cash and budget management, monthly reporting and maintaining a proper financial filing system.

Requirements:
- HND in accounting/ relevant accounting degree
- Substantial experience of financial accounting
- Experience in budgetary controls is essential
- Proficient in computers especially with spreadsheets
- Good reporting skills
- Experience in NGO environment will be an added advantage

2. Secretary – Ref.021102

Responsibilities: This position is responsible for an effective management of the front office, receiving and directing visitors and phone calls, providing personal assistant services to the Country Director.

Requirements:
- National Diploma in Secretarial studies strong post qualification practical experience
- Fluent in spoken and written English
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Excellent organizational skills
- Ability to represent the values and objectives of the organization on the phone
- Flexible work approach
- Experience in NGO environment will be an added advantage

3. HR and Administrative Assistant – Ref.021103

Responsibilities: This position is responsible for the general administration issues and Human Resources duties, as well as maintaining a proper filing system for the office.

Requirements:
- HND in Secretarial Studies, Diploma in Personnel Management would be an added advantage
- Substantial experience in relevant field
- Ability to handle confidential information
- Good filing, planning, organizational and interpersonal skills
- Proficient in computers
- Good reporting skills
- Experience in NGO environment will be an added advantage

4. Monitoring And Evaluation Officer (M&E) – Ref.021104

Responsibilities: This position is responsible for providing technical support and management of an effective monitoring of the programme. Appropriate use of participatory methodologies and evaluation; establish the M&E framework and system to ensure effective implementation of key program initiatives. Develop appropriate data capturing tools and organizing appropriate M&E activities to measure the impact of the project in collaboration with CMT. Assist the Country Director on the preparation of internal, donor reports and stakeholder reports.

Requirements:
- Monitoring and Evaluation qualification or a relevant degree
- Proven ability in monitoring and evaluation
- Proficient in the use of MS Office and Data programs especially Excel and Epi-Info or SPSS
- Capacity to organize, monitor and synthesize qualitative and quantitative information
- Good reporting writing skills
- Experience in NGO environment or health sector is a requirement

Interested candidates are required to submit their application letters and CV only via email vacancy.merlin.zw [at] gmail [dot] com and please include the reference number in the subject field.

Only short listed applicants will be contacted.

Engineer: International Rescue Committee
Deadline: 21 February 2011

Location: Manicaland

Scope

The Engineer position serves as focal person for both water/sanitation and health related technical activities that relate to infrastructure development, rehabilitations and upgrading. The Engineer will carry out feasibility studies, technical assessments, develop bills of quantities and recommend a course of action.  This position reports to the Environmental Health Manager and is based in Manicaland.

Responsibilities

Program Implementation:

1) Program activities.

a) Carry out 1) technical feasibility studies and assessments; 2) produce technical designs and drawings; and 3) develop bills of quantities and specifications relating to infrastructure needs for IRC programs.
b) Contribute towards the development of tender specification documents.
c) Supervise contractors and produce certificates of completion.
d) Document and archive project activities.
e) Support the EH Manager to develop project specific implementation plans and monitor their implementation.
f) Guide, monitor and report on technical progress, development and trends.

2) Operational activities

a) In coordination with the EH manager, develop community specific training budgets (once per assignment) and weekly and monthly cash forecasts for those trainings.
b) In coordination with finance, facilitates the payments of participants as per agreement and liquidates all advances as per HR policies.
c) Supports logistics in the procurement of program materials.

Coordination and Representation

In coordination with the EH Manager:
a) Coordinate closely with stakeholders eg the  Ministry of Health & Child Welfare, Ministry of Public Works, District Development Fund, Zimbabwe National Water Authority and other Implementing Partners
b) Networks and forms synergies with relevant stakeholders.

Training and Capacity Building

a) Develop training course materials and writes training manuals for knowledge management and quality assurance.
b) Facilitate trainings and build capacity of relevant stakeholders in the construction and operation and maintenance of water supply systems.
c) Train builders to enhance their construction and building techniques as related to IRC programming.

Other

a) Participates in internal meetings (monthly).
b) Assists in writing reports timely for the funding agents/donors (external) as well as monthly reports for IRC (internal)
c) Collect baseline information required for proposals and project activities.
d) Ensure that GPS coordinates are recorded for WASH infrastructures to facilitate GIS mapping.
e) Participates fully in project proposal brainstorming sessions.
f) Perform any other duties as assigned by the Project Manager

Qualifications and Experience

a) A National Diploma or Bsc in Civil Engineering.
b) Minimum of three years relevant work experience.
c) Experience working with non-governmental organizations.
d) Program management skills, analytical skills, and computer skills (AutoCAD, word, excel, outlook).
e) Communication skills both written and spoken; inter-personal skills.
f) Team player and willing to camp in remote locations as needed.

Qualified and interested candidates should send their detailed CVs and cover letters to Zimbabwe [at] theirc [dot] org not later than 21st February 2011 and write ENGINEER in the subject line.

Three (3) Positions: WWF
Deadline: 22 February 2011

WWF – World Wide Fund for nature is the world’s largest independent conservation organization, with close to five million supporters and a network active in more than 100 countries on five continents. Our mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which human live in harmony with nature by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable and promoting the reduction and wasteful consumption.

We are seeking to recruit suitably qualified and motivated individuals for the following positions:

1. Project Manager

Major Duties and Responsibilities

* Develops project annual work plans and budgets
* Manages project budget
* Co-ordinates project implementation
* Supervises project staff
* Liaises and co-ordinates with project stakeholders
* Ensures compliance with donor requirements
* Compiles project reports for various audiences

Required Qualifications and Experience

* At least a Master’s degree in natural resources management, development or related qualification.
* A minimum of five years’ experience in managing multi-institutional projects.
* Knowledge of public sector institutions and national policy processes.
* Experience in renewable energy issues and knowledge of EC funded projects will be an added advantage.
* Knowledge of financial management systems.
* A strong team player with assertive leadership skills.
* Strong communication and report writing skills.

Contract and Remuneration: The successful candidate will be offered an initial two-year contract, renewable based on performance. Remuneration will be in accordance with experience and qualifications.

2. District Project Co-ordinators (Two posts)

Major Duties and Responsibilities

* Develops project district plans in partnership with key stakeholders.
* Co-ordinates the implementation of district project work plans.
* Liaises and co-ordinates with district level stakeholders.
* Organises and co-ordinates, district level platform meetings.
* Assists partner staff with local level capacity building initiatives.

Required Qualifications and Experience

* A BSc degree in Natural Resources Management, Development or related qualification.
* A minimum of three years’ experience in implementing community based projects.
* Knowledge of procedures and policy processes within local authorities.
* Experience in renewable energy issues and knowledge of projects will be an added advantage.
* A strong team player with leadership qualities.
* Strong communication and report writing skills.

Contract and Remuneration: The successful candidate will be offered an initial one year contract, renewable based on performance. Remuneration will be in accordance with experience and qualifications.

Applications should be sent to:

The Interim Country Director
WWF Zimbabwe, 10 Lanark Road, Belgravia
Harare, Zimbabwe
Email: hrmanager [at] wwf [dot] org [dot] zw

Regional Technical Advisor – Monitoring and Evaluation: Catholic Relief Services
Deadline: 2 April 2011

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an organisation that promotes human development by responding to major emergencies, fighting disease and poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies.

CRS seeks to appoint a Technical Advisor: Monitoring and Evaluation, based in Lusaka, Zambia, to provide leadership within Southern Africa to strengthen organisational and staff capacity to design and implement effective monitoring and evaluation systems.

S/he will provide technical assistance to Southern Africa Country Programmes, their partners and staff to ensure that projects and programmes are monitored as needed; scopes for evaluation reflect key learning questions; high quality external or internal evaluators undertake evaluations; recommendations are adopted and lessons learned are disseminated; and ICT4D is strategically coordinated and advanced in Southern Africa. S/he will work closely with other Regional Technical Advisors (RTAs) in Southern Africa, and be part of a network of technical advisors for M&E within CRS, liaising with counterparts to develop and disseminate tools, best practices and policies.

This is a unique position to work with other TAs to develop and strengthen systems for monitoring and evaluation, both within specific projects, across programme areas and organisationally at the Country Programme level. Equally, the other RTAs are well-equipped to contribute to the development of effective monitoring and evaluation systems and tools within their sectors. CRS has a good set of project related guides, tools and resources including: ProPack I, II and II, focusing on project design, implementation and monitoring, respectively. In addition, CRS has a set of M&E standards for its projects and Country Programmes.

S/he will also assist Country Programmes in helping strengthen the capacity of local partners’ monitoring and evaluation systems, and will work closely with the DRD/PQ and other TAs to advance a learning agenda for the Region.

For a detailed job description and to apply, refer to www.crs.org/about/careers

It’s curious and pleasing to see The Herald, commonly referred to as the mouthpiece of mugabe, publishing comments criticizing their biased coverage of events in Zimbabwe:

We are not little children, Its ZANU PF youths who are attacking people and in this case looted while their victims are being arrested. You might lie but we are not stupid. Hope this time you will publish my comment

Its a shame really that your paper and the ZRP tries hard to apportion blame on unknown and unruly elements who looted shops when everyone knows it is the unruly Zanu Pf thugs who act with impunity that looted those shops. Shame on you Zimpapers. I challenge you to publish these comments in an objective manner. If you want evidence to prove it was Zanu Pf thugs…well the writing is on the wall for all to see BUT Zimpapers and ZRP.

Only the truth can set you free. Herald editorial, please dip deep inside you to find it. Humans should learn to work for their chocho.  Organisers of any demo must be organised first before they can try and organise anything. Even chaos requires organisation for it to be seen as it is.  We have too many Zimbabweans abroad than we have foreigners here. ” Hebrews 13:1-2 – Let love of the brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers…” ***** Ex- 23:9 Don’t mistreat strangers.
**** Jeremiah 22:3 Defend the helpless and oppressed; don’t harm strangers, widows, orphans, or other innocent people.

Why is “The Herald” hell-bent on blaming ZANU violence on the MDC?? Are editors of this paper so incorrigible to the extent that they’ll sell their souls just to parrot ZANU lies??!! Its so sad – instead of correctly informing the nation that it was ZANU youths who looted other people’s hard earned resources this paper is just hell-bent on mis-informing the public in order to prop up a dying beast. Shameless yellow journalism at its worst!!!! I hope all comments condemning ZANU violence will be published here & not editorialized or denied coverage…

Here’s the Herald article:

Looters hit city shops

Herald Reporters

A DEMONSTRATION by Zanu-PF youths in Harare yester-day against what they said was slow implementation of indigenisation policies turned into a looting spree after being hijacked by rowdy elements. When the youths gathered at the Zanu-PF Harare provincial headquarters at around 8am for a demonstration that police had sanctioned, they cited among their grievances the Government’s alleged snail’s pace in implementing indigenisation policies. They were particularly incensed by Harare City Council’s decision last year to get into a joint venture with a South African firm to manage municipal parking, saying a local company could have also done the job. The youths said they were missing out on advancement opportunities because they could not compete with cash-rich foreigners who could rent expensive retail space in the city and pay large sums of money as “goodwill” to sell their wares. The toyi-toying youths marched into the city centre under police escort, but things turned nasty when another group joined them as they moved towards the Gulf Complex near Market Square, which houses numerous small retail shops. Many of these shops are understood to be run by non-indigenous people who have the advantage of paying higher rentals than locals and thus make it difficult for the indigenisation policy to take effect within that sector. The arrival of the other group resulted in a looting orgy at Gulf Complex and police say they are still investigating the matter. Shop owners hurriedly closed their shops and fled, fea-ring attacks similar to those seen recently in Mbare, Budi-riro and Epworth, after which several youths reportedly aligned to MDC-T were arrested. Harare Province police spokesman Inspector James Sa-bau said police arrested eight people for looting. “The original demonstration was supposed to take place from Zanu-PF Harare Province offices to Town House. The original demonstration was against the awarding of the parking tender to Easipark of South Africa. “We had deployed our personnel on that route. But when people were gathering, we heard there was another group at the Gulf Complex. We are still investigating the origins of that group,” he said. Insp Sabau said police arrested some known Mbare cri-minals who were on the police wanted list. He said police had since recovered some of the property looted yesterday. Chaos at the Gulf Complex saw people looting electrical appliances and household goods. The rowdy group ransacked shops and left many shelves bare. One of the looters jumped off the second floor of the complex when riot police cornered him and he reportedly broke both legs. Shop operators complained of huge losses, with some estimating them at up to US$20 000 each. Mr Moreblessing Muhamba said he lost goods worth US$10 000. “I sell original cellphones. They are all gone,” he lame-nted. Mr Derick Mawire said it would be difficult for many of them to resuscitate operations. “How do I come back? I’ve been wiped clean. I lost goods worth over US$5 000,” he said. Mr Nqobile Chidhobha said he lost laptops, television  sets, computer hard drives and four boxes of cell-phones. A survey showed that the complex — with close to 240 shops — has less than 30 Nigerians operating and a few Chinese. The rest of the operators are black Zimbabweans. The survey was prompted by allegations by some of the looters that foreigners had hijacked the complex. However, a Zimbabwean at the complex said: “If they need shops, they should follow procedure. “They should identify the shops operated by the Nigerians if it is what they want.” Mr Scott Sakupwanya, the president of Upfumi Kuvadiki — the organisers of the original demonstration — slammed the looting. “As youth we feel that the entry of Easipark from South Africa (to manage municipal parking) defeats indigeni-sation. “Youths should have been empowered to partner the city in the venture. “The demonstration was not partisan and included youths from all walks of life, but some hooligans hijacked the programme. “It is totally unacceptable and does not help our legitimate cause. “Indigenisation should benefit everyone regardless of political affiliation, but when people go and steal things then they hurt us when we are already hurting. “However, we will continue demonstrating until the ma-tter is resolved.” He said police should arrest everyone implicated in the looting. Their organisation will today deliver petitions to Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda, town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi, Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo and his Empowerment counterpart Saviour Kasukuwere dema-nding Easipark’s withdrawal from the city. By mid afternoon, Easipark marshals were not visible on the streets though it was not clear if they had been called off or had left of their own volition. It has been alleged that senior council officials have shareholding in Easipark and have employed their friends, girlfriends and party campaign managers. Zanu-PF Harare provincial youth league chairman Cde Jimu Kunaka said unruly elements hijacked the demonstration and they had then called their members            off. “We were infiltrated. Once we realised that, we called off the demonstration. We do not know who the looters are.” Sporadic demonstrations have been noted in Mbare, Bu-diriro and Epworth. These follow suggestions by MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai that the kind of chaos seen in Tunisia and Egypt in recent weeks was acceptable.

http://www.zimpapers.co.zw/news-categories/top-stories/1789-looters-hit-city-shops.html

Here’s a press release from Radio Netherlands:

Radio Netherlands Worldwide is launching a video blog ‘What’s Up Africa’ on its African website. This weekly video blog takes a look at African news in a fresh, funny and critical manner. RNW aims to combine independent information and humour in this new series in order to focus on socially relevant issues. The first episode can be viewed on http://www.rnw.nl/africa/video/rnw-africa-launches-video-blog.

What’s up Africa is presented by RNW producer Ikenna Azuike, who was inspired by the successful American video blogger Ray William Johnson. In his video blog Ikenna takes a quizzical look at what’s hip, hot, eye-catching or unusual in South, West and East Africa.

This video blog forms a fine addition to the African website’s news and current affairs stories. The topics handled in What’s up Africa range from lifestyle to politics, sport to music. The basic principle is that the content is always relevant for a young African audience and that there is a recurring Dutch element. In 2010 the Africa Desk launched Fun in Africa, in which stand-up comedians gave their perspective on the news from Africa. That series can still be viewed on www.rnw.nl/africa and www.rnw.nl/afrique.