Kubatana.net ~ an online community of Zimbabwean activists

Archive for June, 2012

Borehole registration

del.icio.us TRACK TOP
Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 by Amanda Atwood

Okay so up there with the new vehicle license registration requirements has to be the new directive from the Ministry of Water about borehole registration.

Earlier this year, catchment offices around the country started leaving notes in people’s post boxes, telling them to come and pay $100 or more to register their boreholes. Whoa. At the time, in Harare at least, the City Council stepped in and reminded people that, no, they were the ones who handled borehole registration – for a one-off $35 fee.

Anyway, it would appear the Ministry of Water Resources and Development Management got wind of this and realised that they were missing out on an income stream here. So they’ve jumped into the fray and have issued a directive requiring the registration of boreholes – for a fee of $40 per year. They’ve given the public until 30 June to get registered, after which you pay a $60 fine on top of the $40 annual registration fee (sound familiar . . .).

Find the press release about registration and download the registration form here

Since the form isn’t exactly straightforward, I phoned their offices for some clarification. The conversation went something like this:

Me: What if I don’t know my borehole number?
Her: Leave it off
Me: What if I don’t know the borehole depth?
Her: You don’t know the depth?
Me: Nope.
Her: Okay leave it blank.
Me: What if I don’t know my GPS reading?
Her: The GPS reading is required. If you don’t know it, you can come to our office, pay $20, and we will send someone to read the GPS location of the borehole.
Me: What about abstraction rate?
Her: If your borehole is for domestic use we can estimate that.
Me: What do you mean by potential pollution sources?
Her: You know, a soak away, septic tank or asymmetry nearby.
Me: Asymmetry? What is that?
Her: Where people are buried.
Me: Ah! Oh. Thanks. Or pets? Like if I’ve buried my dog in the garden?
Her: Yes. Or pets.

For interest sake, a number of online sites let you zoom in on a map (including road, satellite or hybrid view) which you can use to pinpoint your GPS coordinates pretty well. For example try: http://www.getlatlon.com

Note you’re meant to get the form signed before a Commissioner of Oaths, and you’re meant to submit 4 copies (these can be photocopies, they don’t have to all be registered copies).

It would be great if this process actually goes somewhere – e.g. to the monitoring and regulation of borehole usage, and assessment of our country’s water table, usage and vulnerabilities in terms of water. But unfortunately, it’s really hard to feel like this isn’t just one more exercise in creating work for people in order to get money out of them.

Get a job in Zimbabwe

del.icio.us TRACK TOP
Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 by Bev Clark

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.

Resource Centre Programme Assistant: ZWRCN
Deadline: 8 June 2012

The Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre & Network (ZWRCN) is looking for an individual, preferably female, to occupy the vacant position of Resource Centre Programme Assistant. The individual must be mature, with at least 3 years of more of experience in library work. Their qualifications should be in the areas of information management, cataloguing and documentation or Library and Information Sciences. In brief, the individual’s duties will include managing the library and documentation centre, developing library catalogues and databases, making book purchases and acquisitions and providing programme information support or any other tasks assigned by the Gender and Information Programme (GIP) Officer. The full TOR will be shared with short listed candidates. Only candidates possessing the relevant qualification outlined here will be considered. CVs and motivation letters to be sent to Natasha [at] zwrcn [dot] org [dot] zw or zwrcn [at] zwrcn [dot] org [dot] zw

Project Officer – Economic Strengthening: Mercy Corps
Deadline: 10 June 2012

The Strengthening Community Support for Children with Disabilities in Zimbabwe (SCSCD) program, being implemented within the context of other child protection initiatives, supports the framework of the Government of Zimbabwe’s National Action Plan for Orphans and vulnerable Children. It is complementary to the Child Protection Fund (CPF), a multi-donor funded program that delivers innovative community-based services, which ensures that vulnerable children and families are supported within a continuum of care. The SCSCD program therefore aligns with the government of Zimbabwe and UNICEF’s goals and seeks to ensure that children with disabilities and their families access basic services and commodities for inclusive purposes. The program helps to address the gaps between ongoing programs, by awarding small grants to individuals and informal and formal groups working with children with disabilities. The program also strengthens groups working with children with disabilities. The program also strengthens the economic capacity of families with children with disabilities to enable them to provide themselves with essential goods and services in a sustainable manner.

The Project Officer will be a key member of the SCSCD program team. The Project Officer will serve as a contact point between Mercy Corps Zimbabwe and grant recipients. S(he) will be responsible for identifying, appraising and training community based organizations (CBOs) in business development and management skills. The Officer will also be responsible program monitoring and will work closely with the other project Officer and the Program Manager in implementing program activities.

Qualifications required
The preferred candidate will have a University Degree in Business Studies or any other relevant field. Minimum of three years experience of working with small organizations such as CBOs, knowledge and appreciation of issues affecting small scale and/or informal enterprises in Zimbabwe. Some experience with NGOs is desirable. He/She will be a self-starter, highly organized, strong report writing skills, computer literate.

To apply, please send a covering letter describing your interest, qualifications, salary requirements, references and all official documents including your CV to Mercy Corps Human resources at hr [at] zw [dot] mercycorps [dot] org

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Program Officer: UMCOR Zimbabwe
Deadline: 11 June 2012

Location: Based in Chimanimani, Zimbabwe
Reports to: Special Projects Manager

Purpose of the Position: In collaboration and liaison with the Special Projects Manager and M&E Officer, assist in the implementation and coordination of malaria, OVC and other future development programs in the Chimanimani District under UMCOR Zimbabwe. Be involved in the planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the programmes.

Specific Responsibilities

Program Activities
-Assist in the implementation of new program activities as instructed by the Special Projects Manager.
-Ensure that assigned program activities conform to objectives and budget requirements.
-Assist in the supervision, control, and implementation of program sub-grants or stipends where applicable.
-Prepare written narrative reports, and expense reports for program activities as directed by Special Projects Manager or Head of Mission.

Education and experience
1.Education level should be a minimum of bachelor’s degree in Development, Health or Social Sciences with a recognized institution
2.At least 3 years of previous experience in project management.
3.Familiarity with database design and other tools for information management.
4.Experience in working at community level and with community leaders.
5.Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to effectively communicate technical material to both expert and lay audiences.
6.Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and deliver reports in a timely manner.

Essential Characteristics
1.Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to form positive partnerships
2.Demonstrated strategic and analytical thinking
3.Self-starter and ability to work with little supervision
4.Ability to work independently as part of a team
5.Willingness to learn and to build the capacity of others
6.Experience in working in insecure environments is essential
7.Experience in working with faith-based organizations is a plus

How to apply
Send your Cover letter and CV indicating clearly the position you are applying for to: finance_officer [at] umcor-zimbabwe [dot] org

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Chief of Party – OVC and Organizational Development: Catholic Relief Services Zimbabwe
Deadline: 11 June 2012

Reports To: Country Representative

Job Summary
CRS Zimbabwe seeks candidates for a Chief of Party for a potential USAID-funded, Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) project, based in Zimbabwe.  The goal of the project is to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS on Zimbabwe’s children by enhancing the sustainability of care and support services for OVC through (1) strengthening capacity of communities and local service providers to support vulnerable families and children; (2) strengthen capacity of vulnerable households to care for children; and (3) strengthen the capacity of the public sector social service system to support vulnerable families and children (USAID 2012).  CRS, as lead agency, in consortium with others will lead efforts to ensure a smooth transition from the current PEPFAR-funded Children First (CF) project, implemented by World Education, Inc., to this new award focused on OVC which will be PEPFAR/Zimbabwe’s primary OVC-focused award.

The Chief of Party (COP) is responsible and has authority and oversight for the entire program.  The COP provides managerial and technical support throughout the implementation of the project, including management of Key Personnel and sub-grantees.  The COP is responsible for the development and submission of the Annual Country Operating Plan (COP), Annual Program Reports (APR) and Semi-Annual Program Reports (S/APR), in collaboration with the M&E Specialist, and develops requests for supplemental funding.  S/he will have principal responsibility for representation for the projects to the United States Government (USG).  The COP bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring that grantees and sub-grantees meet USAID, PEPFAR, and program requirements.

Job Specifications
-Masters degree in Social Sciences preferred or equivalent combination in years and experience
-At least 4 years of senior level management experience on designing, implementing, and managing large, complex child welfare, HIV/AIDS and systems strengthening projects
-At least 3 years of experience managing USAID – or other donor-funded programs
-Ability to integrate teams of professionals around common goals as well as demonstrated ability in working with host-country ministries and with donor colleagues in country
-Demonstrated knowledge of the Zimbabwe Child Welfare System
-Demonstrated knowledge of USG regulations and A-133 Auditing procedures
-On-the-job mentoring and training experiences will be an added advantage
-Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel and other appropriate software)
-Self-guided, strong organizational and planning skills
-Ability to work independently and under pressure
-Excellent communication, coaching and facilitation skills

Personal Competencies
-Ability to work both independently and as an effective team member
-Diplomacy, tact and strong negotiation skills
-Self-motivated and able to work without close supervision
-Able to prioritize work, multi-task, and meet deadlines
-Understanding of and experience with faith-based organizations, local church structures, non-faith based organizations, and accompaniment and capacity-building principles in local partnerships highly desired.

Those who meet the above criteria are invited to submit their applications together with a cover letter and detailed Curriculum Vitae that includes the names and contact details (plus e-mails addresses) of three traceable references. Applications should be clearly marked “Chief of Party – OVC and Organizational Development”.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.  Please submit to:  The Country Representative, 95 Park Lane, Harare or 33A Duncan Road Suburbs Bulawayo or P.O. Box CY 1111, Causeway, Harare, or to taurai.musakaruka [at] crs [dot] org
Note: this position is contingent on the awarding of funding by the donor.

Human Resource Officer: Local NGO
Deadline: 12 June 2012

1-Year Contract
Location: Harare

A local, registered NGO is inviting applications from suitably qualified and experienced persons for the position of Human Resource Officer.

Basic Functions: To effectively implement the organisation’s human resource policies and procedures, advise management and employees on human resource issues and assist in maintenance of a sound industrial relations climate in the organisation.

Responsibilities
-Effectively implement the Organisation’s human resource policies and procedures.
-Advise management and employees on human resource issues.
-Assist in industrial relations management.
-Payroll processing.
-Provide legal advice on human resource issues.
-Training employees on relevant human resource issues.
-Recruitment and Selection.
-Effective staff orientation.
-Assist in managing the performance appraisal process.
-Staff administration and other assigned administrative duties.
-Make recommendations to management and staff in response to changes occurring in the market.
-Reports to the Country Director

Qualifications and Person Specification
-Social Science/ Human Resource Degree and IPMZ / other Human Resource Diploma.
-A minimum of three (3) years working experience at the same level.
-Work experience in the NGO Sector an advantage.
-Good interpersonal skills and a demonstrable ability to communicate clearly and effectively at all levels.
-Be conversant with the Zimbabwean labour act.
-Be sensitive to changes and trends occurring in the human resource field.
-Clean class four (4) driver’s license an advantage.

Only persons with the above requirements need apply.

Applications together with a detailed Curriculum Vitae and motivation letter to be submitted to:  resourceshuman32 [at] gmail [dot] com

We regret that though we value all applications, we will not be able to respond to every application submitted. We however thank all applicants in advance for expressing an interest in this post.

Integrated TB/HIV Care Coordinator: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
Deadline: 14 June 2012

The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) is an international scientific organisation headquartered in Paris, France with 14 offices worldwide. Its office in Zimbabwe has a vacancy for Integrated TB/HIV Care Coordinator.

The successful candidate will be responsible for coordinating the planning, management and monitoring of implementation of the Integrated TB/HIV Care (ITHC) package in collaboration with the National AIDS and TB Unit of the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (MOHCW) in Zimbabwe through funding provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the PEPFAR Program.

Applicants should be qualified medical practitioners or Registered General Nurses with Community Nursing and Midwifery qualifications and relevant experience.

For full details of the job description and responsibilities, please visit The Union’s website: www.theunion.org

Condition of employment: Initially one year contract subject to renewal based on performance and availability of funding.

Please send CV + motivational letter to hrzimbabwe [at] theunion [dot] org


Five (5) vacancies: Plan
Deadline: 15 June 2012

Founded more than 75 years ago, Plan has global presence in 68 countries and is one of the oldest and largest children’s development organizations in the world. Plan works in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas to promote child rights and lift millions of children out of poverty, particularly those who are excluded or marginalized, through high-quality programs that deliver long-lasting benefits. Plan prides itself on working in partnership with others and operating effectively. Plan is an independent organization with no religious, political, or governmental affiliations and is an equal opportunity employer. Plan received Best Employer accolades for two consecutive years in 2010 and 2011, based on a national survey conducted by a leading consultancy firm in Zimbabwe.

Plan has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1986 and has active programming in child protection and child rights, education, food security, environment, and health sectors, including HIV and AIDS. Through these programs, Plan reaches out to over 300 000 people in Zimbabwe annually, particularly children.

The Zimbabwe program seeks services of suitably qualified candidates to fill vacancies in anticipation of funding from a major donor. This project aims to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS on Zimbabwe’s children by enhancing the sustainability of care and support services for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children (OVCs) through strengthening local capacity of development stakeholders.

These are full-time positions based in Harare for a five-year term, beginning in or around October 2012.

Position 1: Chief of Party (COP)

Job purpose
Reporting to the Country Director, the COP serves as the key liaison with USAID;  is responsible and has authority and oversight for the entire program ensuring that it is of high quality and impacts in the agreed areas, and, that it is compliant with donor and Plan requirements, in particular the provisions of our Child Protection standards; provides managerial and technical support throughout the implementation of the project, including management of key personnel and sub-grantees and ensuring an integrated vision among different components and actors, and ensuring achievement of project requirements.

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours required in achieving role’s objectives
-A Master’s degree in a relevant field e.g. Social Sciences, Public Health or Development Studies or relevant field
-Significant program management and supervisory experience in the health and development fields
-Proven senior-level management experience in designing, implementing, and managing large, complex child welfare, HIV/AIDS, and/or systems strengthening projects
-Significant experience managing USAID donor-funded programs
-Demonstrated knowledge of the Zimbabwe Child Welfare System
-Knowledge of development issues, trends, challenges and opportunities and implications to community development
-High highly skilled leader, able to integrate teams of professionals around common goals as well as demonstrated ability in working with host-country ministries and with donor colleagues in country
-Demonstrated ability to implement projects with rigorous timelines and deliverables and to track program quality through donor approved monitoring and evaluation systems
-Proven leadership, inter-personal and cross-cultural skills, and ability to build and motivate diverse teams, including distance management
-Ability to work with and through partners and sub-recipients
-Excellent communication skills

Position 2: Finance and Operations Director (FOD)

Job purpose
Reporting to the Chief of Party, the FOD is responsible for overseeing project finances and other operational and administrative duties in accordance with relevant USAID regulations and in line with Plan’s financial and operations management policy provisions. The FOD will supervise all grant management and reporting on grant performance and will provide financial and technical management to ensure best use of resources by preparing sound budgets, monitoring project expenses, and ensuring timely preparation of donor financial reports.

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours required in achieving role’s objectives
-A Master’s degree in finance or financial management or a professional qualification in accountancy
-Minimum of 3 years experience in financial management of programs funded by USAID
-Demonstrated knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles applicable to USA accounting procedures and processes
-In depth knowledge of USAID financial management rules and regulations
-Proven skills in financial and administrative management of large international development programs
-Experience managing small grants programs or sub-granting mechanisms involving local NGOs
-Ability to adopt new software and financial management systems
-Striving for high performance across the team and for Plan’s business
-Proven analytical and strategic thinking skills
-Excellent communication and leadership skills
-Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite

Position 3: Program Director (PD)

Job purpose
Reporting to the Chief of Party, the PD oversees all programming, including ensuring technical quality of services. The PD oversees the development and execution community action plans and family case plans, monitors the implementation of plans, works with project staff to facilitate operational capacity building initiatives, facilitates technical capacity building, and supports efforts to coordinate with local government and private sector partners. The PD also supports the roll out of national initiatives intended to improve the technical quality of programming for children affected by HIV/AIDS.

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours required in achieving role’s objectives
-A Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies  or equivalent, Master’s degree  in similar field preferred
-Demonstrated experience and knowledge in establishing systems and overseeing program start-up under limited time constraints, as well as program close-out
-Experience working with advocacy training and institutional capacity building initiatives, especially with civil society organizations
-At least 3 years of experience managing donor-funded programs with demonstrated capacity to create and/or maintain complex systems and procedures involving multiple implementations sites, multiple partners, and diverse beneficiaries
-Demonstrated strong analytical, managerial, leadership, communications and interpersonal skills
-Experience working with institutional capacity building initiatives
-Demonstrated experience in the management of key programmatic areas such as HIV/AIDS and child protection
-Thorough knowledge of programming processes, systems and principles, and the ability to provide leadership and support to staff/partners working at community level
-Ability to interact and work effectively with others at all levels

Position 4: Organisational Development Officer (ODO)

Job purpose
Reporting to the Program Director, the ODO builds technical competence and organizational capacity of the public sector and professional bodies, including that of local NGOs at several levels in order to strengthen their overall response to the welfare of children in Zimbabwe. This includes facilitating the development of tailored capacity building plans in the areas of planning, finance and administration, advocacy, governance, management and leadership, and monitoring and evaluation.

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours required in achieving role’s objectives
-Degree in Social Sciences, Adult Education or relevant field; Master’s degree preferred
-A minimum of 5 years of experience in local organization capacity building
-Experience in assessing technical capacity of organizations, developing customized capacity building plans, and providing individualized training, mentoring and on-site support in various technical areas of need
-Strong knowledge of local capacity building tools especially in the OVC Sector
-Excellent networking, facilitation and active listening skills
-Gains, develops and retains credibility about his/her performance
-Excellent communication and problem solving skills
-Strong planning and organizational skills
-Promotes innovation and learning

Position 5: Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist (M&ES)

Job summary
Reporting to the Program Director, the M&ES is responsible for all monitoring, evaluation and reporting activities for the OVC project; leads development and management of the project’s performance monitoring plan and maintains systems to collect and analyze information on inputs, outputs, outcomes and impact of the program.

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours required in achieving role’s objectives
-Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Demography, Statistics, or other development-related fields
-Minimum of 5 years of experience monitoring and evaluating USAID-funded projects
-Experience designing and implementing M&E systems in the OVC/Zimbabwe context
-Demonstrated knowledge of management information systems/statistical packages
-Proven leadership in developing and implementing large-scale M&E systems, especially for bilateral donors
-Extraordinary knowledge of programming processes, systems and principles, and the ability to provide leadership and support to sub-grantees
-Experience in participatory monitoring and evaluation
-Promotes innovation and communicates effectively
-Strong analytical and logical ability

Interested candidates who meet the above requirements are required to submit their curriculum vitae & covering letter outlining their suitability for the position and indicating the position being applied for to: zwe.recruitment [at] plan-international [dot] org

Reference & background checks will be performed including clearances on child related offences in conformity with Plan’s Child Protection Policy. Only short listed candidates will be contacted. Interviews have been planned for during the period of 21 to 26 June 2012.

Programme Coordinator – Support To Peace Building and Increased Access to Sustainable Livelihoods in Zimbabwe Project: UNDP
Deadline: 15 June 2012

UNDP Zimbabwe’s interventions are guided by its commitment to fully support the critical elements of the prevention of violent conflict and recovery process in Zimbabwe at both the national and local levels. In 2009, the Organ for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration (ONHRI) was created in terms of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) to establish a national mechanism for peace building in Zimbabwe. In this regard, the programme on “Support for Peace Building and Increased Access to Sustainable Livelihoods in Zimbabwe: 2012-2014″ was developed to strengthen national capacities for dialogue, peace building, prevention, management and resolution of conflict in search of sustainable solutions for the development challenges facing the country. The programme seeks to integrate locally led sustainable community livelihoods and disaster risk reduction interventions into the peace building architecture in Zimbabwe. It will also enhance the national and the UN’s coordination capacity in the area of recovery.

The Programme Coordinator  (PC)  directly reporting to and under the overall supervision of the Principal Director of the ONHRI in the Office of the President and Cabinet as the Implementing Partner, as well as   working in close collaboration with selected Government Ministries as Responsible Parties, UNDP and  other relevant stakeholders. The PC will provide technical and coordination support services to the Support for Peace Building and Increased Access to Sustainable Livelihoods in Zimbabwe Programme. The Coordinator will support the delivery of the Programme outputs as follows:

Output 1: National Capacities for Dialogue, Peace Building, Conflict Prevention and Management   Strengthened;
Output 2: Community Capacities (Women and Youth) for Recovery and Conflict Sensitive Sustainable Livelihoods Increased at Local Levels;
Output 3:  Increased Support by the UN Coordination of Sustainable Recovery in Zimbabwe; and,
Output 4:  Increased Capacity of Communities, Local and National Institutions for Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery.

The PC will be responsible for supporting the overall coordination, planning, implementation, tracking and reporting obligations of the Programme in consultation with the Implementing Partner, Responsible Parties, UNDP and other key national counterparts as they relate to national programmes and priorities. The incumbent will need to have flexibility in his/her work, including assignments outside the duty station such as field visits, as well as undertaking any other tasks, if deemed necessary.

For more information and to apply please click here

Finance Director: CARE
Deadline: 15 June 2012

Based in Harare, the incumbent will report to the Assistant Country Director (ACD) Finance and Programme Support and will be a member of CARE Zimbabwe’s senior management team. The Finance Director will be responsible for leadership of the formulation, development, implementation and oversight of financial and risk management strategies, policies and systems that enable CARE Zimbabwe to accomplish its core business objectives. The Director Finance will also be responsible for the finance department staff management and supervision, Country Office budget preparation and control, audit requirements and CARE Canada/CARE International liaison on financial matters. The Finance director will provide technical assistance, standardization and quality control to sub-offices and direct support to the ACD Programs, ACD Finance and Program Support, project Accountants and Sector Co-ordinators.

Job responsibilities and tasks to include:
-Safeguard the Assets of the Country Office
-Financial reporting
-Budgeting and budgetary control
-Accounts Payable/Receivable
-Payroll Administration
-Grants & Contract Management
-Country Office Finance Unit Supervision

Minimum qualifications and experience
-A Chartered General Accountant/Certified Management Accountant or similar designation with a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce or equivalent
-A Post graduate qualification in finance or risk management will be an added advantage
-    A minimum 5 years’ experience in a similar role
-Experience working with NGOs and familiarity with their policies and procedures
-Experience at writing financial policies
-Work experience in risk management will be an added advantage
-Advanced knowledge of Excel, MS Access, MS Word and Outlook
-Knowledge if SCALA, experience or knowledge of Crystal reports will be an added advantage
-Fluent in English (speaking, reading and writing)
-Ability to work independently and as part of team, solve problems, organized and reverence of deadlines and time obligations
-Ability to work in diverse cultural contexts, good communication skills

Interested applicants can submit their applications together with copies of CV to vacancies [at] carezimbabwe [dot] org

Zinara needs to get a grip

del.icio.us TRACK TOP
Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 by Amanda Atwood

When I saw The Herald headline Zinara deadline scrapped this morning, I assumed it meant they’d realised that they wouldn’t be able to process new vehicle license discs even within the extended deadline period, and had decided to give everyone even more time.

This made sense given the number of frustrated, queuing motorists who were reporting on their experiences – including on our blog here and here.

Silly, silly me.

Rather, Zinara has gone back on the deadline extension. On 30 May, realising at last that long queues and a shortfall of around 580,000 vehicles to license they announced the deadline would be extended to 30 June. Unsurprisingly, the queues began to dwindle as people had more time to get their vehicles licensed, and therefore could plan accordingly.

In a move that now punishes motorists for believing them, Zinara has retreated on the deadline extension, back dating the deadline to 31 May again, and has instructed Zimbabwe Republic Police to fine motorists found driving with an expired vehicle license disc.

Politics 101 teaches that public confidence in state institutions is fundamental to good governance. Punishing the public for believing you is a surefire way to breed an angry public.

Running on empty

del.icio.us TRACK TOP
Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 by Amanda Atwood

Waiting for the ATM this morning I heard a priceless bit of dialogue on the security guard’s over over (walkie talkie).

Control: Zero One, please confirm your fuel level, over.
01: I have no fuel, over.
Control: Zero One, please repeat. What is your current fuel level, over.
01: I have no fuel, over.
Control: Zero One, please repeat. How much fuel do you have, over.
01: Control. I have zero zero zero point zero zero point zero zero fuel. Nothing. Finish. Over.

What is the formular?

del.icio.us TRACK TOP
Tuesday, June 5th, 2012 by Bev Clark

Art by Tafadzwa Gwetai.

Econet Wireless founder honored by an American College

del.icio.us TRACK TOP
Tuesday, June 5th, 2012 by Lenard Kamwendo

Morehouse College, one of the oldest American colleges, has awarded an honorary doctorate to Zimbabwe’s richest man, Econet Wireless Holdings founder, Strive Masiyiwa in recognition for his philanthropic and humanitarian work across the African continent. Masiyiwa is ranked 34 on the Forbes’ list of Africa’s 40 Richest. The Econet Wireless mobile telecommunications company brand has spread from Zimbabwe to conquer Africa and has also moved to the UK and New Zealand. Apart from running the company Strive Masiyiwa is involved in the Capernaum Trust, a charity organization that sponsors children from disadvantaged families with scholarships.