ZimRights director denied bail. Okay Machisa, who was arrested on Monday has been denied bail, and his case remanded until 30 January. According to this statement from the Regional Coordinator, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Regional Office [SA]:

The Crisis Coalition Chairperson and Zimrights director, Okay Machisa, was remanded in custody this afternoon to the 30th of January 2013.A Harare magistrate denied him bail on the basis of three flimsy reasons:

1) That the case is a matter of national interest since the nature of the alleged offence is meant to discredit national institutions (that is the Registrar General’s office)

2) That the investigations are complex hence the state needs more time to carry out a thorough investigation throughout all the Zimrights branches across the country

3) That the co-accused (Leo Chamawhinya) is remanded in custody  hence no basis to remand Machisa out of custody.

The magistrate said that the public will lose confidence in the justice system if Machisa is granted bail since it is a high profile case of national interest. The magistrate did not refer to legal arguments to the contrary submitted by Machisa’s lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa in what appeared like a clearly motivated political judgment.

The detention of Machisa shows that the state has no respect for the presumption of innocence principle. We condemn this calculated assault on activists meant to cow civil society organizations that are fighting for democratic reforms before the next watershed election. We reiterate our position that the political environment in Zimbabwe is not yet conducive for a free and fair election.

We appeal for solidarity action, regional and international pressure on the Zimbabwe state to respect the rule of law. Such action is important to mitigate against a possible surge in the harassment and detention of activists especially as we head toward the general election.

Thirty-four (34) vacancies: Local NGO
Deadline: 17 January 2013 (12 noon)

A local NGO based in Harare is seeking the services of team supervisors and enumerators to participate in a nationwide evaluation exercise from 15 February 2012 to 14 May 2012.

1) Team Supervisors (2); Deputy Supervisors (2)

The supervisor will be responsible for facilitating and overseeing technical aspects of the project. The work involves the formulation of research instruments, planning, conducting field activities, and ensuring the production of relevant reports. Each supervisor will also be responsible for coordinating the capturing, processing and analysis of data at the data centre in Harare.

Specific roles of this position include
-Providing leadership and guidance to each enumeration team
-Daily planning and deployment of enumerators
-Co-ordinating accommodation, food, and transportation
-Carrying out the business enterprise survey: total of 360 meaning 4 per ward for the 90 wards
-Carrying out the Focused Group Discussions: 2 FGDs in each district giving a total of 12
-Carrying in-depth interviews of select households: 24 semi-structured households giving 4 per district
-Administer community questionnaires: one per ward giving a total of 90 questionnaires
-Ensuring daily briefings (planning and feedback) of the teams
-Liaise with the Team leader on a regular basis.

Competencies
1. Masters Degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences or related fields.
2. Strong competence in Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis,  full knowledge of CSPro and added advantage
3. Strong competence and experience in Qualitative data collection and analysis
4. Proven leadership roles in various institutions and team settings
5. Interpersonal skills essential, knowledge of Ndebele and Tonga added advantage

Deliverables and Remuneration
These will be discussed with the successful applicant.

To Apply
-NB: Applicants must commit to avail themselves for the entire duration of the survey i.e. from 15 February 2013 to 14 May 2013 (continuous days)
-Applications should include cover letter and CV with traceable referees. Please submit full application set with “Supervisor” in the subject line to: evaluationsurvey2013 [at] gmail [dot] com
-Women are encouraged to apply

2) Enumerators x 30

Specific roles of this position include
-Collect data through household interviews
-Ensure timely completion and submission of allocated household questionnaires to respective team leader/supervisor
-Participate in daily de-briefing sessions

Competencies
1. First degree (working towards 1st degree) in Development Studies, Economics or Social Sciences
2. Strong competence in Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis,  full knowledge of CSPro and added advantage
3. Interpersonal skills a must, knowledge of Ndebele and Tonga added advantage

Deliverables and Remuneration
These will be discussed with the successful applicant.

To Apply
-NB: Applicants must commit to avail themselves for the entire duration of the survey i.e. from 15 February 2013 to 14 May 2013 (continuous days)
-Applications should include cover letter, CV with traceable referees. Please submit full application set with “Enumerator” in the subject line to: evaluationsurvey2013 [at] gmail [dot] com
-Women are encouraged to apply

The latest report from Human Rights Watch, Race against time: The need for legal and institutional reforms ahead of Zimbabwe’s elections, paints a sobering picture of the absence of reforms during the past four years of Zimbabwe’s Government of National Unity.

The report discusses a range of reforms which would be needed for there to be genuinely free and fair elections in Zimbabwe, and highlights the consistent absence of a willingness by Zanu PF to engage in any of these reforms.

Paragraphs like this are telling:

Genuine and comprehensive institutional reform to end the pro-Zanu PF partisanship of key state institutions such as the security forces, electoral management bodies and public broadcasters are necessary to level the playing field and create an environment conducive to the holding of credible elections. Zanu PF has not embraced such reforms in the name of promoting a more democratic Zimbabwe, but has actively resisted them.

The absence of meaningful institutional reforms to facilitate full restoration of the rule of law increases concern for human rights protections ahead of Zimbabwe’s next elections. The GPA noted that state organs and institutions do not belong to any political party and should be impartial in the discharge of their duties. This declaration remains wholly unimplemented.

With or without a new Constitution, Zimbabwe needs to hold new Presidential and Parliamentary elections by the end of October this year, if it is to respect the term length of the current office holders. But in an environment of continued harassment of human rights workers, there is no prospect of meaningful reforms. To change the environment of fear, intimidation and harassment, these changes would need to have happened already. They would need to be demonstrated through actions on the ground, not just paper laws and policies. International attention will hopefully mean that the 2013 election is less overtly violent than the 2008 one was. But there is little to suggest it will be any more free and fair, or that Zimbabweans themselves will feel any more confident in the electoral conditions and human rights environment than we were five years ago.

Zimbabwe government continues harassment of NGOs. The new year hasn’t brought a new attitude to the Zimbabwe government about human rights and freedom of expression, if the recent harassment of ZimRights is anything to go by. Read this statement from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR):

Police charge Machisa with publishing falsehoods as government steps up onslaught against NGOs

Zimbabwean police on Monday 14 January 2013 charged Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) Director, Okay Machisa with publishing falsehoods, fraud and forgery as authorities intensify the onslaught against non-governmental organisations.

Machisa will be a guest in the police cells of the coalition government of President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai after detectives at the Law and Order Section at Harare Central Police Station detained him at Rhodesville Police Station following the recording of a warned and cautioned statement from him.

The police charged Machisa with contravening Section 31 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State. The ZimRights director was also charged with committing fraud and forgery in contravention of Section 136 and 137 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. Faith Mamutse, who is employed as a secretary at ZimRights was released after the police interrogated and recorded a statement from her.

Machisa, who is also the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition chairperson handed himself to the police on Monday morning, accompanied by his lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, who is a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR). The police also raided and searched the ZimRights head office in Harare, where Mtetwa and Gift Mtisi, another ZLHR member lawyer were present during the search.

Meanwhile, ZimRights programme manager Leo Chamahwinya and three others, who were arrested in a raid on the ZimRights offices last year, remain in police custody, with their bail appeal having been denied last week.

I am standing at the checkout at TM. My groceries waiting for someone else’s groceries to go through the till. And someone in the queue behind us is talking on his cell phone. As they will do. Loud and strong, as if they were in the privacy of their office. But we can all hear! The conversation is about that “den of iniquity”, the CMED, (he used to work there), where he has a ‘deal’ going on to get a part for a vehicle, which is hard to get, but through them he can get it at a ‘good’ price.

He continues that what is good for him is what counts. He used to work there, they used him, he deserves, and they are his contacts. What is more, every body does it anyways. He has got to – to survive. Compete in this world. Feed his family.

Corruption is a system. He knows this. If no one bought the stolen goods, they would not be stolen.

So next time you hit a pot hole (easily done since it has rained every day since Christmas,  and the storm drains have not been cleaned since…, so the water stays on the road), think of this man. It is his fault. He is a major player in the corruption system. Open and honest (enough to tell all of TM!). And it is the corruption system that ensures that CMED cannot service vehicles, which means than no one gets to the site to repair potholes.

In it’s simplest form.

In the larger form – by loudly, brazenly, with all the excuses in the world – he is the disease that is corruption. Perhaps not it’s only face, but as guilty as anyone else involved, and therefore he is the reason, the filth, the evilness, the scum, that keeps the potholes on our roads (and many other evils).

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

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

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

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

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