Just in from a subscriber:

The draft by COPAC is a meticulous fulfillment of the old times saying, ”that people are not inherently good, people are ready to show their vicious nature when it works to their advantage”. The coming in of a new supreme law is a welcome gesture. A constitution is widely regarded as a legacy of the past, present and future generation. Ancient and contemporary democracies to a significant extent embrace the legacy of the supremacy of civilian rule, accountability, separation of powers, transparency, liberty, and equality. The COPAC draft depicts a sharp departure from the commonly agreed key lynchpins of democracy. It is silent on a number of critical and pertinent issues such as past atrocities and government misdemeanour that seek redress. Zimbabwe is an infant democracy thus it would have been more prudent for the charter to summon for the establishment of vibrant state institutions not prone to manipulation and susceptible to political instability. The discriminatory clauses with a case in point of the death penalty spell a bleak future and a mammoth task to the establishment of consistent judicial precedence. Reading through chapter 5 which purports to create an Executive authority sent shivers to the spine. History has it on record that supreme Executive authority has led to the weakening of state institutions through appointments. It also has a danger of perpetuating the denial syndrome by political leadership thus aggravating political, economic and social distress. Unilateral Executive power enhances dictatorial tendencies. It is tragic that the COPAC draft has given a green light to one man rule thus nullifying the belief in check and balances. The draft is silent on the retirement age of Executive authority. Very little attention has been given to the voting and electoral system which in the modern day Zimbabwe is the source of hope for political transition. This further derails hopes for free, fair and credible elections. How on earth can a state be run and advised by an unaccountable Attorney General? It is a question that continues to boggle thinking minds. To crown it all the statement ”… becomes effective and for ten years thereafter …” clearly indicate lack of seriousness in Zimbabwe’ political and legal development. Though the draft tried to address numerous issues, it leaves very very little to admire in terms of ensuring stable political, democratic development and upliftment of the legacy of civil rule supremacy.Thus the adoption of the COPAC draft has numerous ramifications nationally, regionally, sub-regionally and as far as continentally. What a tragic testimony of political expedience in the guise of law making.

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

Northern Regional Case Management Coordinator: World Education Inc
Deadline: 25 February 2013

Background to the Position
World Education Inc has been selected to work with the Ministry of Labour and Social Services (MoLSS) under the thematic area of National case management system development and practice .The overall purpose of this thematic area is to review and update the current national case management system together with MoLSS, Department of Social Services (DSS) and deliver innovative community based services nationally, that ensures that children and families who are identified as vulnerable are supported within a continuum of care. The program will be implemented within the ten cash transfer districts of Epworth, Goromonzi, Rushinga, Makoni, Kariba,  Zvishavane, Bulawayo Urban, Umguza, Chivi and Mangwe.The posts will be based in Harare with frequent travel to  the mentioned districts

Job Summary
Reporting to the Project Manager, the main role of the NR  Coordinator is to oversee the implementation of the Case management project in 6 districts. The NR coordinator will support the case management officers and DSS offices to implement the case management system in their respective district.

The NR Coordinator will assume the following responsibilities:

Key Functions of the post
-Oversee the Implementation of the National case management system project in their regions
-Design and develop case management tools for the project
-Coordinate and support activities of Case Management Officers
-Coordinate and spearhead the development of appropriate child protection tools, and share with CMOs
-Train, mentor and supervise Case management Officers and DSSOs
-Write monthly, Quarterly, annual progress reports using district feedback and reports
-Network and represent WEI at various child protection forums/stakeholders meetings
-Technical backstopping for consultants on delivery based contracts/grants.

Applicants are encouraged to meet the following criteria
-Primary university degree in Social Work
-Good Presentation skills
-Excellent communication skills
-At least 4 years experience working with vulnerable people and one year must be at middle management level supervising people
-Ability to work with little or no supervision
-Results oriented and able to work under pressure
-Knowledge of capacity building initiatives
-Experience working within a multi stakeholder project

Applicants with the relevant experience are encouraged to apply to recruitment@worlded.co.zw

Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Mamphela Ramphele, anti-apartheid activist, businesswoman and academic has launched a new political party platform, Agang, in South Africa.

In her speech delivered yesterday she said:

“Today I announce that I am working with a group of fellow citizens to form a party political platform that will focus on rekindling hope that building the country of our dreams is possible in our lifetime. Our consultations and conversations across the lengths and breadths of our country have confirmed a hunger for a new beginning. Young and old, poor and rich, men and women, urban and rural people are yearning for a political platform that can put our country first. A platform that will be open to all South Africans of good will who want to build the country of our dreams. This will be a platform that will capture the best in us and enable us to transcend our divided past and work together as a society united in our diversity. It is a platform that will seek to work with others to reduce the fragmentation in the political landscape and to realign politics towards a focus on putting the country first. We launch this initiative under the name Agang, or in the Nguni languages of our country, Akhani, which can be interpreted in English as “Build South Africa”.

The ANC have criticized the new party saying it brings nothing new to the table as it rehashes the challenges South Africa is currently facing. The ANC secretary general, Gwede Mantashe, is quoted on SABC news saying ‘the newly-launched party political platform might be an American initiative aimed at channelling money to destabilise the South African government.’

New hope for South Africa?

Here’s a press release from COTRAD in Masvingo:

Masvingo – In the early hours of today around 2am Zimbabwe Election Support Network(ZESN)  offices were besieged by two Nissan Hard body trucks without number plates at their Hofmeyer Offices in Masvingo. Party of the contingent seized the security guard who is always manning the premises and tricked him that they were ZESN officials from Harare and were rushing to Chiredzi to implement a program.  The unidentified men did not break any window but used bolt cater to open the doors. The unidentified trucks likened to the Central Intelligent Organization confiscated One desk top which is usually used by the provincial ZESN Accountant and contains all the ZESN financial transactions, Eight Chairs and close to Sixty T-shirts from the office. COTRAD views this as the continued crackdown on NGOS and targeting ngos to do with election related programing.The investigation team that has been sent to cover the matter was heavily composed of the members of the Central Intelligence Organization some of them who also disrupted a ZESN meeting a fortnight ago at Nyuni Mountain Lodge.

Meanwhile in Gutu Central Constituency  a COTRAD activist Albert Musvosvo was on Sunday 16 February 2013 around 5pm  kidnapped and assaulted by Zanu PF youth militia led  by Mukotami who is the ward 17 chairperson for  Gutu Central Constituency. Musvosvo was assaulted for mobilizing a public meeting that was conducted by COTRAD in Gutu Central Constituency on Saturday 15 February 2013. Musvosvo lost two front teeth and was treated at Gutu Mission Hospital.

Matter was reported to Bhasera police base in Gutu Central Constituency.

The political environment is heating up in Masvingo, the involvement of security forces in the crackdown is a cause of concern and serve to point that elections in Zimbabwe will be marred by violence.

COTRAD INFORMATION DEPARTMENT

Whilst the Unity Government hand out copies of the draft Constitution, they arrest people for gathering to discuss it:

Zim distributes copies of draft constitution

Zimbabwe has begun to distribute copies of a new draft constitution — a key reform ahead of elections later this year.

But a citizen’s group said police had detained three activists meeting to discuss the text, which is due to be voted on next month.

“We are starting distribution today of 90 000 copies of the draft constitution in various languages as well as braille and audio versions,” said Jessie Majome on Monday, a spokesperson for the lawmakers who wrote the charter.

Police arrested three people at a meeting on the constitution process in the central town of Chegutu, according to the head of a group promoting citizen participation, the Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ).

“They were charged with organising and holding an illegal meeting and they are now being held at Kadoma police station,” CCDZ director Phillip Pasirayi told Agence France Presse (AFP).

Police could not immediately confirm the arrests.

The new constitution is a key reform ahead of an election in July to end a shaky power-sharing government between veteran President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Zimbabweans will vote on the charter, which notably limits presidential terms and reduces the president’s power, on March 16.

Monday’s edition of the state-owned Herald newspaper carried a pull-out copy of the draft constitution. – AFP