NoViolet Bulawayo will be signing copies of her novel, We Need New Names, shortlisted for the ManBooker Prize.

When: Thursday 19 September
Where: FOLIO bookshop in Borrowdale Village
Time: From 10.30 – 12.00 noon

We look forward to seeing you there! Please tell your friends.

A crow perches on a Durawall and pecks at an election poster ripping off a corner.

Flies away.

Good for something? Making nests.

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Motorbike Mechanic: CARE International in Zimbabwe
Deadline: 26 September 2013

Position Code: AMP-MBM13
Program: Anticipated Emergency Program
Duty station: Masvingo

Job summary
The motor bike Mechanic will carry out service and maintenance work to all motor bikes while ensuring that all major jobs are referred to Commercial Vendors as soon as possible.

Key duties and responsibilities
-Carrying out a detailed inspection per bike brought to the workshop, and identify all faults, dents and defects on it
-Ensuring a timely and efficient service /maintenance work is carried out on all bikes
-Refer all major jobs to commercial vendors through the Fleet Supervisor
-Ensure  thorough inspections done to bikes upon receiving the bikes  from commercial vendors
-Assisting the fleet Supervisor in identifying any unreported accident/incidents by making general morning inspections to all bikes
-Create and maintain a sub office motor bike maintenance schedule
-Make clean record of the performance of each bike and provide detailed technical advice to the -Fleet supervisor on all bikes uneconomic to repair
-Submit daily and monthly reports to the Fleet Supervisor

Qualifications and experience
-National crafts certificate in Motor bike mechanics or skilled class (one) certificate in motor bike mechanics or any other equivalent qualification.
-Have a minimum of 3 years in Automotive or related field
-A clean class (2) driver licence is a must
-Good oral written communication skills in English and Shona
-Must be alert, security conscious, honest and reliable

To apply
Interested and qualified applicants can send their Curriculum Vitae and Application Letters by the 26th of September 2013 quoting the position code on the subject for email applications to:

The Human Resources Manager
CARE International in Zimbabwe
8 Ross Avenue
Belgravia
Harare

Or: vacancies [at] carezimbabwe [dot] org

The truth is . . .
I feel the spirit of nature thinning
deep in my soul

the slender mongoose who used to run the paths on Monavale
no more
our bi-annual sighting of cobras hasn’t happened for a year and a half
our family of bush babies is reduced to two lonely males

the properties around us – that had been left to the wilderness
have been sold
the habitat that has been home to the wild things – who gifted us with their presence
is being halved

I write to the sound of chopping trees
piles of brick and sand appear along our road

this is the present we are being called to live alongside
this place just a fractal
reflecting our current relationship with our mother home

the truth carries with it a deep pain
aching cracks
like the fissured earth being fracked for the future

this hill, this magical place
the wildness that grew our children
already diminished
a different home for our grandchildren
who will know nothing other than this present
and old stories of ‘what used to be’

the truth is . . .
my spirit sometimes falters at the challenge before us
to keep the balance of the beauty of this present
this magic we are being called to bring forth

knowing of what is being lost

looking at the world through clear eyes

I feel sorry for the Zanu PF Councillors. These are the bedrock, the foundation, the feet on the ground, the basis of the ruling party (again, after five years as the Opposition Party). These guys (or girls) did the footwork, went out and met the people, and got elected, even if some urban areas (yes, I am speaking as a local Harareite) where the challenges to be overcome were tremendous.

And yet… we have only just seen the results of the poll. Kubatana managed, after some prodding by me and much effort with ZEC, to get a spreadsheet today (Friday the 13th). I see 40 MDC and 6 Zanu PF in Harare. Despite being a part of the great victory, their party holds them in such disregard that they took 6 weeks to get their ZEC to allow someone to see their results! Talk about disdain for the electorate. How about disdain for the elected?

Six weeks after the elections, and we have just seen the new (very old) cabinet. But still not seen who is the party. There seems to be only one member of the ‘ruling again’ party, and his election has been announced, and contested, and accepted, and no longer contested, and analysed, and evaluated by investors, and reacted to by the market, and discussed, and rediscussed. And a bit more. But still, aside from the top, who won the posts? Do they deserve nothing but disdain?