Need to shake things up? Try something different. Like the driving range at East 24 on Samora Machel. $6 gets you 90 balls, 5 tees and your selection of golf clubs required. Spend an hour in the shade, have a laugh and clear your head. No experience required. (Trust me!)

In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. – Buddha

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) released the results of the local government contests of Zimbabwe’s 31 July Harmonised Election on 15 August.

As SW Radio Africa reports,

According to figures released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), candidates representing Robert Mugabe’s party now dominate the country’s rural and urban councils, having won 1,493 out of a total 1,958 wards. The MDC-T won 442.

Since 15 August, we have been trying, unsuccessfully, to get these results from ZEC, so that we may share them with the public.

Presumably, official election results are public information. They tell the public useful things like:

• Who is your councilor
• How many people voted for which candidate

When we’ve asked them to share the results, ZEC has told us that they’re too long to publish in the press (too expensive). They’ve also failed to publish them on their website, and whilst they have said they could email them to us, they have yet to respond to numerous email and telephone requests to do so.

Meanwhile, there are council run offs scheduled for 11 September, in 3 wards where the two top candidates got the same number of votes.

If the council elections are important enough to be held, and there are resources for three run offs, surely ZEC could also share the results from the other 1,955 wards? Maybe many Zimbabweans don’t care who their Councillor is. But for those who do, and who want to engage in a democratic, participatory process to hold their elected officials to account, the first step is to know who that is.

As part of Zimbabwe’s new Disneyland in Africa initiative, Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi says:

“We want to create a free zone with a banking centre where even people who do not necessarily live in Zimbabwe can open bank accounts.”

Never mind Zimbabwe’s recent history of economic instability and confidence challenging measures like freezing and seizing assets in foreign currency.

I can just imagine the conversation:

- Where do you bank?
- Disneyland, Zimbabwe
- Hmmm. How’s that working for you?

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Accountant: Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN)
Deadline: 3 September 2013

(Tenable immediately)

The Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN) is seeking an experienced, dynamic and suitably qualified person to join the organisation as an accountant.

ZWRCN is a non-governmental organization that was established in 1990. We seek to empower women in Zimbabwe through the provision of information, technical support and advocacy that promotes their participation and benefit from economic, social and political processes.

The post holder will be responsible for undertaking the effective management and utilisation of the organisation’s financial resources and assets, as well as human resources

The major tasks of the accountant include
-Developing budgets for the organization
-Compiling financial reports
-Monitoring financial systems & procedures to ensure compliance with policies and procedures
-Payroll Administration
-Ensuring that assets are insured and maintained in proper condition
-Overseeing organisational procurement processes
-Managing the organisation’s investment portfolio
-Overseeing petty cash management
-Networking with the bankers, partners & auditors
-Overseeing auditing
-Compiling management reports for Senior Managers and presentation to the board
-Cash flow management
-Performing monthly reconciliations
-Analyzing financial transactions
-Preparing statutory returns
-Assisting in risk management
-Any other duties as assigned by the Executive Director

Qualification, skills and experience
-Certified accountant (CA, CIMA, ACCA, CIS)
-Degree in accounting
-Experience/qualification in project management
-Minimum 3 years experience of working in the development sector
-Some experience in managing human resources

To apply
If interested kindly submit a brief motivational letter and a comprehensive CV by 3 September 2013 to: pamela [at] zwrcn [dot] org [dot] zw copied to chipiwac [at] zwrcn [dot] org [dot] zw

A competitive salary and benefits are offered commensurate with qualifications and experience. Note that only short listed candidates shall be contacted for an interview within 7 days from the application deadline.

Information and Communications Officer: Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN)
Deadline: 3 September 2013

(Tenable immediately)

The Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN) is seeking an experienced, dynamic and suitably qualified person to join the organisation as an Information and Communications Officer. ZWRCN is a non-governmental organization that was established in 1990. We seek to empower women in Zimbabwe through the provision of information, technical support and advocacy that promotes their participation and benefit from economic, social and political processes. The post holder will be responsible for the overall implementation of the organisation’s information and communication strategy.

The major tasks of the Information and Communications Officer include
-Sourcing, collating and packaging gender and women’s rights information relevant to ZWRCN’s Zimbabwe, regional and global stakeholders
-Writing relevant articles, opinions and briefs for diverse audiences, including for all forms of electronic and print media
-Developing relevant messages and materials to communicate ZWRCN’s work and products to diverse audiences
-Innovative use of different information communication tools, aimed at social and economic empowerment of ZWRCN stakeholders
-Management of the content used in ZWRCN electronic resources, including the ZWRCN web site
-Development and management of information databases
-Profiling and branding the organisation’s work
-Providing training and advice to colleagues on the use of electronic information services
-Supervising and training other information staff as appropriate

Qualifications, Skills and Experience
-University degree in communication, journalism or public relations
-A minimum of 5 years experience working in the area of gender and development, preferably in a development sector environment
-Proven track record of innovative utilisation of information communication tools
-Proven experience of working with diverse media
-Excellent writing skills, and demonstrable experience in editing materials for production
-Good understanding of communication for socio-economic change approaches

To apply
If interested kindly submit a brief motivational letter, comprehensive CV and two samples of writing by 3 September 2013 to: pamela [at] zwrcn [dot] org [dot] zw copied to chipiwac [at] zwrcn [dot] org [dot] zw

A competitive salary and benefits are offered commensurate with qualifications and experience. Note that only short listed candidates shall be contacted for an interview within 7 days from the application deadline.