From a friend:

One of our senior managers spoke over a beer. At the age of 17 he lived with his family in their kraal. Each night his father would talk of the ghosts that lived amongst them – mainly just outside their hut. He had a tension – the ghosts versus this lovely girl at the next door kraal. He decided the ghosts were his father’s way of curtailing all post-sunset antics and decided to confront them. According to a plan around ten at night he “snuck” off . Out in the moonlight he was soon at the target hut where he pulled on a string. She let him in. The string was attached to her wrist and threaded through the thatch of the hut. This allowed her to sleep until he arrived and all that followed could take place in silence. By 4am he was back on the dung hardened floor. Now we have Facebook.

Communications Officer: local NGO
Deadline: 21 December 2011

Applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced persons to fill in the position of Communications Officer that has arisen within a local NGO. The position is for contract period of eight (8) months.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Organize meetings and workshops

Documentation of meetings and workshops

Facilitating community based planning meetings

Formulating Strategies for internal and external communication including management of the organization website

Develop instruments of communication needed to attain the objectives of the organization

Establish rapport with the relevant media organizations

Design and facilitate the production of the quarterly newsletter

Facilitating the production of the annual reports

Arranging for the organisation’s participation at various exhibitions

Any other duties that may be delegated from time to time by the Supervisor

Qualifications and experience

Degree in Journalism or related field

Computer skills including management of website

Holder of a clean class four driving license

Hands on experience in advocacy, lobby and production of IEC materials including news letter for at least three years

Personal attributes

Good oral and written communication skills at all levels

Fluent in Shona and English

A goal getter

A self-starter

Ability to work under minimum supervision

Applications should be submitted to the Human Resources and Administration Officer Farm Community Trust of Zimbabwe, 9A William Gale Close, Marlborough, Harare by not later than Tuesday 21 December 2011.

Or email matenda [at] fctz [dot] org [dot] zw

It was interesting – but for the wrong reasons – to watch the just ended Zanu PF conference when we saw party apparatchiks many had dismissed as too frail to threaten a mosquito coming alive to punch fists in the air in the tired “down with..” sloganeering. Men who have been of perpetual poor health appeared for the Bulawayo jaunt with pallid looks that told stories about badly needed convalesce but chose instead to race their hearts keeping company with loud crowds.

Rather disturbingly, you could see a guy like Simon Khaya Moyo with cheeks looking like they were waiting for slight provocation to explode while at the same time you could see chaps sitting at the high table looking rather under-fed, only because of obvious poor health. For curious unsympathetic observers it appeared natural to wonder if these chaps were indeed feeding from the same trough! You could also see the party’s chief doctor of spin looking like he had seen a ghost. He sure could have used the weekend to rest or visit some health spa, and this in a country where we have acquired physician skills where we give strangers full medicals by just looking at them. This indeed has become the favourite pastime of many in this beloved country and this is enjoyed especially when the person under observation is from Zanu PF! Just ask Webster Shamu who whined a few months ago that people always wish him and his colleagues ill health, or something to that effect.

Then there was the VP John Nkomo who did not look his physical best, and a teacher friend based in the rural parts of Matebeleland said folks are asking why the Ndebeles are punishing one of other own by not retiring him seeing he is not the young man he used to be. I myself wondered if at all Zanu PF has a clause in its constitution that denies members the right to retire early on health grounds. Otherwise from watching the conference, it became obvious that we are once again being set up for that dreadful prospect of ruling until one is stopped only by the intervention of God’s ways that serve as a reminder that we are just but human. This in no way is a jibe at anyone’s poor health, but rather a beaming of the spotlight on the bane of African politics where there still lingers that obnoxious spirit of entitlement that, because one lost years in the bush or prison fighting white oppression, they must rule as long as they breathe, never mind that they have become drooling imbeciles or headed the way of the Ngwazi Kamuzu Banda who had no clue how old he was in his last years but would have continued as Malawi president if he could have had his way! Okay, so what happens to the aspirations of the children of these former combatants dreaming about entering active politics? Does it mean they will never ascend to the higher ranks of the nationalist parties as long their fathers live?

Yet the rump-shaking ladies of the women’s league seemed to be having a ball gyrating in front of men who sat with their hands folded, and in the privacy of their minds dared the old leader and ogled. You just had to ask yourself about women and politics and the rhetoric that even came from Emmerson Mnagagwa about gender parity within the party ranks. But then you could see the favoured positions for women, definitely not on top! So it was that, with an aging Mugabe being endorsed as party candidate for the polls he wants next year for obvious reasons seeing Father Time waits for no Man, the country was reminded once again that there is no place for renewal here. The young and reckless ought to know their place: warming up for the bludgeoning of political opponents ahead of the elections Tendai Biti has already said promise to be another blood bath. And young Jabulani Sibanda, knowing only too well where his bread is buttered was there to represent!

The Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ) 3, detained since Sunday, were granted bail today. But the state invoked Section 121 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act to further prolong their detention until 16 December.

Read more from Radio VOP here

Tickled by this on Poetry International and got some more here.

New York City shows its poetic prowess by using artistic haiku safety signs at heavily trafficked areas. Referred to as “Curbside Haiku,” the Department of Transportation (DOT) launched the campaign in November, 2011. New Yorkers will soon see these creative traffic safety signs throughout the five boroughs.

The brightly colored signs mimicking traditional street safety signs were created by artist John Morse. The colorful artwork is accompanied by a catchy haiku poem about traffic safety. NYC was the venue of legendary poets such as Emma Lazarus, Anthony Hecht and Walt Whitman. As an artists’ mecca, this unique campaign seems to suit the city.

There are 144 signs promoting road safety placed throughout NYC. Each sign encourages safety by focusing on various modes of transportation including walking, biking and driving. The goal is to keep the city streets safe for everyone using them.

According to the NYC DOT, some of the signs are mysteriously fun with an embedded QR code. People with smartphone apps use them to discover the safety message. Some are hung in pairs with an image and haiku text. The idea is to ensure the signs are noticed so safety messages are delivered.

US Embassy Public Affairs Section:
Our office is considering candidates for the Fortune 500/U.S. State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership, a mentoring program for emerging women leaders from around the world, scheduled for April 29 through May 24, 2012.  Applicants must be women between the ages of 25 and 43 who are likely to reach the top levels of their business or NGO sector.  To receive a copy of the application form please email us on hararepas [at] state [dot] gov