Poetry Bulawayo invites you to the event Poetry Potpourri – A night of Poetry & Music

WHERE? @ Amal by BAC sportsclub (12th Ave extension – opposite Byo Poly)
WHEN? Friday 19 August
WHAT TIME? 16:30 for 1700hrs
HOW MUCH? $2

The fabrication of stories to bring out and portray a certain issue inclined to a political party is now common in the local newspapers, both private and state owned. I have recently been seen a trend in the media. When an event or something transpires we seem to get similar headlines in the newspapers. An example is that when Energy Minister Mangoma was acquitted. These were the various headlines carried by Zimbabwean papers on 19 July 2011, for example: The Herald carried the story as ‘Mangoma freed as AG drops charges’ and in The Daily News, the story was ‘Mangoma case crumbles’. This shows at least some validity and honesty in the story that the Energy Minister had indeed been acquitted.

But it doesn’t necessarily mean we expect to see similar headlines everyday in our newspapers. But we expect to read credible and reliable information. If a media house or newspaper publishes a story of its own, this can be attributed to the good investigative skills the journalists working for that paper have.

A recent fabricated story is that by Zimpapers in the Sunday Mail of July 24, 2011 of the government’s spending. The story read ‘The high flying Prime Minister of Zimbabwe’ where it said Prime Minister’s Office had the highest expenditure on Government travel.

This story came in two days before the Finance Minister Biti could deliver a statement on Mid-Term Fiscal Policy statement which then revealed the truth about government’s spending. In a recent public forum with Professor Welshman Ncube he did have something to say about the media in Zimbabwe particularly regarding this story. He described the state owned paper as being an agent of preempting stories before their actual event, so as to cause confusion in the public.

This is so true because imagine being an ordinary citizen who from his/her earnings cannot afford to purchase a daily newspaper and has no access to the Internet to read online news. People tend to feed themselves with headlines. I have seen quite a number of people in the morning who stand by newspaper vendors and read headlines and move on. I wonder if they will at least be able to get a copy during the day and read the rest of the story but the chances are slim. Having read a headline that the Prime Minister’s Office is on the top list of government travel spending on Sunday and reading the actual story of who tops the list surely it leaves people confused over who is telling the truth.

There are times when one truly wonders when this will come to an end. We are tired of having to read stories and then question their validity and reliability.

Petty crime in South Africa is on the rise. People are constantly being pick pocketed and mugged. The situation is getting ludicrous. A couple of months ago a Rhodes student was mugged at knife-point for a packet of chips. The situation was almost too ridiculous to take seriously and one had to question the desperation of the mugger.

Recently a close friend of mine who is currently studying at the University of Cape Town was mugged while walking home from an exam in the afternoon. She noticed two men walking towards her and told herself … “Zi walk with a purpose, walk with a purpose.” The two men cornered her and demanded she hand over her wallet. A smile slid slyly across her face as she reached into her bag and without reluctance handed her wallet over. The two men opened the wallet to find a measly five rand coin. Mystified the men handed back her wallet in disgust and disbelief.

Bewildered by the situation the two men instructed her to hand over her cell phone. Reaching once again into her bag, she now really had to practice some self-control and contain her laughter. The two stared excitedly awaiting the latest black berry or snazzy cell, but instead she whipped out a “brick Nokia, no colour screen”. “I was laughing in my heart,” she said as she pulled it out. The two muggers stared in utter disbelief and began to laugh hysterically as they chucked the brick back.

To make the situation even more hysterical they then proceeded to reprimand her for walking alone in dodgy areas. “Really can you believe the cheek to mug me and then to be too fussy to take any of my stuff?”

Clearly muggers can be choosers.

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.

Executive Director: Local NGO
Recruiting Immediately

Recruiting immediately: Executive Director of a health related non-profit making organisation, reporting to the board.

The Executive Director reports to the Board and is responsible for the organization’s consistent achievement of its mission.

To the Board and Membership:
-Assist the Board in the development and implementation of long-term strategies, goals and objectives for the organization
-Implement all policies, programs and other directives laid down by the Board
-Maintain official records and documents, and ensure organization’s compliance with all laws and regulations.
-Ability to source funding for the organization
-Coordinate the recruitment, employment, and release of all personnel, both paid staff and volunteers.
-Publicize the activities of the organization, its programs and goals.
-Coordinating relation of the organisations with donors and other organisations

Qualifications, skills and experience:

-Degree in Health or Social Sciences, preferably a master’s degree
-At least 5 years experience in NGO environment at a managerial/senior decision making level
-Experience and facility in proposal and report writing
-Ability to effectively direct activities of subordinates and meet deadlines
-Commitment to human rights
-High level of computer literacy
-Appreciation of Human Rights issues

Package will be released to short listed candidates

Send applications to: newEDpostzw [at] gmail [dot] com

Field Officers: Cluster Agricultural Development Services (CADS)
Deadline: 18 August 2011

Applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced candidates to fill the above posts.

Requirements:

-Degree / Diploma in Agriculture
-At least 3 years experience working in sustainable agricultural NGO environment
-Driver’s License, Class 3 essential

Duties:

-Providing technical training for sustainable Agricultural Programs
-Planning and implementation of sustainable Agricultural Programs
-Train farmers on conservation agriculture practices
-Fundraising for agricultural projects
-Regular preparation of technical reports
-Self starter who can work with minimum supervision
-Ability to write reports

Deadline and application procedure:

Applicants must submit CVs with certified copies of academic, and professional qualifications, giving date of availability, employment and experience, contact telephone numbers, names and contact details of three referees.

Applications to be submitted to:
The Director
No. 1 Wembley Crescent
Eastlea
Harare

Responses will be made to only the short-listed candidates.

Email: cadsproject [at] cads [dot] org [dot] zw or cadscomp [at] cads [dot] org [dot] zw or cadsadmin [at] cads [dot] org [dot] zw

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer: Cluster Agricultural Development Services (CADS)
Deadline: 18 August 2011

Applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced candidates to fill the above post.

Requirements:

-University degree in management or relevant discipline from a recognized institution
-A minimum of 2 years experience in the development sector
-Good monitoring and co-ordination skills, with documented experience in technical project implementation and monitoring
-Experience in writing project proposals, developing programmes and management plans
-Analytical and report writing skills
-Willingness to participate in field activities and travel
-Driver’s Licence, Class 4 essential

Responsibilities:

-Leading the design of and implementation of monitoring frameworks to track delivery against project goals and objectives
-Leading analysis of data collected under the monitoring framework for assessment of progress and areas of improvement
-Provide regular reports on the project activity implementation status against the project goals and objectives to the director
-Ensure collection of relevant and appropriate data which is needed for an effective M&E system which will be utilized in the monitoring of strengths, weaknesses and gaps in the existing programs and services
-Making creative and intuitive decisions regarding the production of established M&E reports
-Documenting all the project activities and generating periodic reports which will guide the project in pursuing the mandate
-Generating project related research data to inform future programming
-Ensure that all sub activities are aligned to the project’s main goal
-Guide, coach and mentor field officers on the monitoring frameworks

Deadline and application procedure:

Applicants must submit CVs with certified copies of academic, and professional qualifications, giving date of availability, employment and experience, contact telephone numbers, names and contact details of three referees.

Applications to be submitted to:
The Director
No. 1 Wembley Crescent
Eastlea
Harare

Responses will be made to the short-listed candidates only.

Email: cadsproject [at] cads [dot] org [dot] zw or cadscomp [at] cads [dot] org [dot] zw or cadsadmin [at] cads [dot] org [dot] zw

Pharmaceuticals Logisticians
Deadline: 19 August 2011

One of the leading healthcare provider organisations is looking for competent individuals to work in its medicines project. We are looking for individuals with in depth experience in pharmaceuticals management as well as procurement and logistics. This experience should be with reputable companies

Qualification and previous experience:
a)A degree in pharmacy
b)5yrs+  pharmaceutical experience
c)Experience in pharmaceutical procurement and logistics which is traceable
d)Excellent co-ordination skills

Responsibilities:
-Specification and forecast of the needed pharmaceutical logistics
-Evaluation of the costs and feasibility for the supplies
-Draft of the procurement planning & logistics budget
-Liaison with the head quarter for all the logistics aspects
-To introduce the general procurement pipeline
-To ensure purchase & supply processes are according to donor procurement rules

Interested candidates should send their CVs to applicationsbr [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] uk

Project Officer: Local NGO
Deadline: 19 August 2011 (close of business)

Fixed term contract

A local child protection NGO is looking for a suitably qualified and motivated individual to fill a position that has arisen in the organisation.

The project officer will be responsible for Planning for preparatory and follow-up meetings for the project, Cultivating community participation through mobilization of locally available resources and labor for renovation of schools and clinics, Undertaking school and clinic assessments for prioritization of refurbishment activities, Preparing records of the assessment needs, Plan, and procure materials for the renovation activities, Providing technical support for the renovations, Liaise with responsible ministries for the project activities, Conducting trainings for beneficiary in line with identified capacity need in areas of child protection, health, education and livelihoods projects for the schools and Child Protection Committees, Participating in the monitoring and evaluation of project activities and Ensuring timely implementation of the project activities according to the set targets and deadlines

General qualifications:

-3 years experience in a similar environment
-Social Science degree
-Mature person
-Class 4 Driver’s license a must-those without driver’s license will automatically not be considered.

Skills:

-Good interpersonal and communication skills
-Computer literacy in Microsoft word and excel
-Application Procedures

Applications, quoting the position being applied for, including CV with three referees should be emailed to pmpofu [at] cps [dot] org [dot] zw or phineas [at] cps [dot] org [dot] zw

Head of Human Resources and Administration: ActionAid
Deadline: 25 August 2011

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

We seek to employ a Head of HR and Admin to provide strategic leadership to the country programme’s human resource and Organization development (HR& OD) processes. The Head of HR and Admin is a member of the Country Management Team of ActionAid International Zimbabwe reporting to the Country Director and is technically supported by the Regional HROD Coordinator based in Nairobi.

The key responsibilities of the position is to develop, implement, interpret and revise as necessary HR/OD policies, procedures and systems; be involved and support in the development of country programme strategies; initiate, catalyze and manage desired organizational learning, change and transformation processes; initiate and facilitate organizational value and culture bundling processes; lead periodic HR and OD strategy, policies, system and procedures reviews; lead the strategic staff performance review and management processes; develop and implement human resource plans and forecasts aligned to country strategy, plans and priorities;  lead the employee resourcing, recruitment, selection, and induction processes; develop and lead the human resource development strategies and initiatives of the organization; lead the strategic and annual plan and budgeting processes for HR and OD programmes and functions; Provide strategic HR and OD support to programme team across the organization, play vital role in the joint team leadership of the country program’s overall engagements.

The ideal candidate will have an MA/MBA in Human Resource Management/Development and a minimum of eight years relevant experience OR BA in Management with a minimum of ten years relevant experience, of which a minimum of three years experience in senior management post; commitment to the mission of the organization; personal qualities of sense of judgment; strong ability and willingness to learn; excellent communication and interpersonal skills, staff responsiveness, value and team work oriented; proven report writing skill are essential; be fluent in both spoken and written English.

To apply submit your curriculum vitae with a motivation letter to jobs.Zimbabwe [at] actionaid [dot] org

While we value all applications, we can only respond to short listed candidates. Whilst all applicants will be assessed strictly on their individual merits, qualified women are especially encouraged to apply.

Driver: UNWOMEN Zimbabwe
Deadline: 25 August 2011

Nationals Only

Type of Contract: Local: Fixed Term Appointment
Level: GS-2
Post Number: 00052112

To apply for this post kindly click here

Office Manager/Local Area & Network Administrator: Australian Embassy
Deadline: 26 August 2011 (close of business)

The Australian Embassy in Harare is seeking an energetic and high performing person to be our Office Manager and Local Area & Network Administrator (LANA).

Responsibilities will include:

Management and training of local engaged staff, recruitment, policy implementation, formulation and development of staff development plans, strategic planning, trouble shooting, procurement and maintenance of IT equipment, consultation and liaison with Finance Manager and other diplomatic staff.

We are looking for someone with a proven managerial record, preferably who has previous experience with an international organisation.

Interested persons should visit www.zimbabwe.embassy.gov.au to obtain the Job Description and other details of the position.  Only applications that address the job description and have proven managerial experience will be considered.

The position salary is $3 200 per month.

Please email your application to: zimbabwe.embassy [at] dfat [dot] gov [dot] au

Finance and Administration Manager: Restless Development
Deadline: 26 August 2011

Based in Harare, Zimbabwe

Restless Development is the global leader in youth-led development – demonstrating that young people can and must play a leading role at all levels of development.

Restless Development Zimbabwe has a Head Office in Harare, with Programme Offices in Plumtree, Matabeleland South.

Restless Development Zimbabwe is entering an exciting new strategic phase, and is looking to find a Finance and Administration Manager with relevant professional qualifications and experience and a passion for Restless Development’s mission to place young people at the forefront of change and development.

Indicative annual net salary: USD$15,848 (approximate gross salary: USD$21,826)

Further information and application pack are available from: www.restlessdevelopment.org

Please note: The Restless Development Application Form and detailed Job Description can be downloaded from www.restlessdevelopment.org and should be sent by e-mail to jobs [at] restlessdevelopment [dot] org

Only applications using the Restless Development Application Form will be considered, CVs will not be accepted.

Restless Development will only contact applicants who have been selected for interview.

A friend of mine recently told me that she’s decided to work for the government.  She is a person I admire who has worked in the development field with nongovernmental organisations all over the world for several years. Naturally I laughed, and pointed out that faced with such a large bureaucracy her grand ideas would waste away. The system would beat her I said, and eventually she’d spend the whole day reading the newspapers and all the while she’d make less money in a month than she currently spent in a weekend. Undaunted by my cynicism, she remained optimistic. ‘How can you change government’, she asked, ‘if you don’t try?’

Both of my parents have spent their entire working careers as civil servants. They both have a background in the human sciences with multiple degrees, and undoubtedly would have found more lucrative careers outside the government. I have listened in on their long conversations about sexism, being passed over for promotions and corruption. I have seen how little they are remunerated for the great amount of time and energy they put into their work. My mother even calls her job community service; while my father is motivated by investing in the dream he watched so many die for. But even with all the frustrations, and sometimes thanklessness that comes with what they do and where they work, the one thing that has never changed is their faith in the dream that is Zimbabwe.

The trouble with your generation’, my father often says to me, ‘is that you aren’t willing to make sacrifices for anything.’ Considering my reaction to my friend’s news, I can’t say I disagree. Like so many Zimbabweans I’m quick to point out what is wrong with our government, and country, and even quicker to take sides in the ZANU-PF / MDC tug of war. Often it is without trying to understand why things are the way they are, or why the other side has picked the position it has picked. For us there is no middle ground, just good guys and bad guys, haves and have-nots. And because we are pulled in different directions we don’t create change or progress in our development, we only create divisions. Unlike, big picture people, like my parents and my friend, we have become caught up in the smaller details such as petty party politics and power struggles. Zimbabwe is a dream we all have to work towards, one life, one bad piece of legislation or bureaucratic process at a time. Just imagine if everyone went to work, not wanting self-aggrandisement, power and money, but instead worked to be the change they wanted to see. Imagine what kind of Zimbabwe that would be.