Some reflections from a Kubatana subscriber:

Fellow comrades, it is shameful that we watched helplessly as the politicians manipulated the  Zimbabwe constitutional process. But what could one have done taking into consideration the lessons learned in 2008 where a well known power hungry, octogenarian delayed and denied election results, and used violence to cling to power after being overwhelmingly defeated by people power. Is it that politicians can never be satisfied, that they will never say enough? Or is it that we are so blind to see how much ruin they can do to our lives if we just watch in silence.This month Mugabe will turn 89. My father was forced to retire at 65 by the very government ruled by an 89 year old man, just think of it comrade! The time to act is now. Lets register to vote in our numbers . It is our right to vote. It is one of our powerful voices to change things for the better. Dear comrade the future is in our hands.

 SAPES Policy Dialogue Forum: Politics of sexual economics: situating the “small house” in Zimbabwe

Date: Thursday 14 February 2013
Time: 5pm – 7pm
Venue: SAPES, 4 Deary Avenue, Belgravia, Harare

Presenter: Mildred Mushinga, Doctoral Candidate, University of Pretoria

A ‘small-house’ is a colloquial and derogatory term used in Zimbabwe to describe a woman in a quasi polygamous, long term, informal and usually secretive sexual relationship with a married man. These kinds of relationships have been widely conceptualized within dominant public health and development discourses as part of the broader multiple concurrent sexual partnerships and sexual networks discourses. Such viewpoints have framed these relationships as key drivers of HIV and the women involved as poor, disempowered, lacking sexual agency and engaging in survival transactional sex. These perspectives have focused mainly on the detriments of a permissive, problematic and medicalised sexuality, which however neatly fits into the public health and development panaceas to poverty and HIV. Yet, the evolving ‘small-house’ phenomenon in Zimbabwe entails women from varying economic, social and political backgrounds and hence does not neatly fit into the aforesaid perceptions.

Framing women’s sexual behaviours within contexts where sexuality is seen either as a variant of health or poverty significantly undermines an in-depth and broad understanding of the nuances, complexities and mingling of women’s sexual behaviours, economics, society and politics. In as much as it is a global reality that economic inequalities exist between genders, focusing on one narrow angle of sex research embedded in health and poverty does injustice to the diversity and complexity of sex research. As such, pinning women’s motivations for engaging in ‘small-houses’ to lack of empowerment, sexual agency and poverty has excluded other groups of women -the educated, economically stable, high socio-economic status, seemingly ‘low-risk’ (in terms of HIV) women who knowingly and ‘willingly’ engage in these highly stigmatized sexual relationships. Focusing on these high socio-economic status and educated women can be a useful way to understand women’s sexual behaviours and motivations as they are intertwined with broader changing social, economic, political and cultural milieus in the Zimbabwean context.

All Welcome!

SAPES Seminar Club Membership Forms available at seminar.

Feel free to visit our website at www.sapes.org.zw

Public policy course 2013: A course for leaders in civil society, public and private sectors
Deadline: 15 March 2013

Organized by the Institute Of Peace, Leadership And Governance (IPLG) at Africa University in collaboration with the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA)

This course in public policy, governance and civil society is designed to provide basic fundamentals of public policy analysis to practitioners working in civil society organisations, public service and the private sector. To face the challenges of the new millennium, Africa needs leaders who can inspire those they lead; work and learn collaboratively; transform mindsets; act with integrity; facilitate constructive dialogue, think strategically; and formulate and implement public policy with skill and resolve. Recognising that public policy is best formed and implemented by informed leaders, the course seeks to enhance these leadership skills.  The emphasis of the course is on how public policy maybe viewed as a governance tool essential for political and institutional development.

Partial sponsorship is provided.

For more information on the course and how to apply please click here

Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Referendum has been “tentatively” scheduled for 16 March (according to Constitutional Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga).

Here is what one subscriber thinks about the upcoming referendum:

It is very important for everyone  to take part  in the referendum vote to shape Zimbabwe’s future. It is better to have a Zimbabwean constitution than a Lancaster House transitional document. Better is not good enough but best is yet to come. – WM

16 March gives barely a month to get Zimbabweans informed about the Constitution, and with both major political parties (MDC-T and Zanu PF) saying they will be campaigning for a Yes vote, it is hard not to feel like the referendum is just an attempt to use the people to rubber stamp the politicians’ Constitution.

But the only way to make up your own mind is to get informed and decide for yourself. Some ways to do that:

• Read COPAC’s final draft Constitution
• Read the ZLHR analysis of this final draft
• And check in on Kubatana’s Constitution special index page, which we will be updating regularly with commentary, analysis and news about the draft Constitution and the referendum.

Get yourself informed, and share this information with your friends, colleagues and neighbours. Figure out where you stand on the Constitution, and have open, peaceful and tolerant discussions with other – especially those who disagree with you! Only by making an informed decision about where You stand on the Constitution – And whether you’re going to vote Yes, No, or spoil your ballot on Referendum Day – can you avoid being the politicians’ puppet.

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

Finance and Administration Officer: Gender Links Zimbabwe
Deadline: 22 February 2013 (Close of business)

Gender Links, a Southern African NGO based in Johannesburg specialising in gender, media, women’s rights and governance, seeks the services of experienced individual to serve as Administrative Officer for its Country Offices in Zimbabwe. The main task of the incumbent will be to provide accounting and administrative support to the Gender Links Country Office.

Tasks
-Preparation and administration of all program budgets
-Proper control of the supporting documents for payments and financial reports ensuring that all authorisations are done accordingly
-Procurement: Sourcing quotations and ensuring that the procurement policies are adhered to at all times
-Processing payments of all goods and services
-Managing and reconcile petty cash
-Processing of all statutory requirement payments
-Checking program cash expenditure reconciliations
-Cashbook management, including uploading of all documents on sharepoint and performing monthly bank reconciliations
-Banking including liaising with suppliers in relation to payment queries
-General administration, including follow up with suppliers on outstanding issues and attending to queries
-Ensuring that all staff complete timesheets and upload them on HR sharepoint folder
-Filing of all finance and admin documents
-Assisting with managing the incoming and outgoing phone calls
-Performing daily and monthly backups for all the office data
-Assisting with compiling documents for workshops, researches as required by the country office
-Assisting the Country Manager at all times as required

Skills
-Tertiary education with specialised certification in accounting or finance
-At least three years experience in accounting in the NGO sector
-Experience in Pastel accounting software, Microsoft office programmes and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet
-Ability to administer and execute financial processes and transactions
-Good administrative and inter personal skills
-IT proficiency
-Able to handle pressure and is dynamic to change

General conditions
The above post is for an initial period of one year, based in Harare. Competitive remuneration packages will be offered, commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the successful candidates. Applications must be submitted by close of business (COB) Friday 22 February 2013. A letter of motivation, CVs and references should be sent to: hr [at] genderlinks [dot] org [dot] za

Or fax +27 11 622 4732. For further enquiries phone +27 11 622 2877.

Only short listed and successful candidates will be contacted for interviews.