Pictured above: uZanele at IWD 2012

Sistaz of the Open Mic celebrate International Women’s Day
Saturday 9 March 2013, Book Cafe, Harare

On Saturday 9 March, the lively SISTAZ OPEN MIC programme at the Book Cafe celebrates International Women’s Day from 3pm, with a vivid line-up of women artists ready to step out and express themselves freely in celebration of women everywhere.

The line-up includes mbira princess Hope Masike, recently returned from a quick trip to Europe; popular singer-songwriters Rute Mbangwa and Clare Nyakujara, guitarist Rudo Chasi, Zimbabwe-rocker Kessia Magosha recently returned from a Rock music programme in Johannesburg; the afrocentric M’Afriq featuring lead singer and front-lady Pauline Gundidza, and a special performance of ‘3 Generations’: afrojazz-istas Dudu Manhenga, the strongly up&coming ‘uZanele’ and Clare Nyakujara.  The spoken word will be carried by poets Roxy ‘Xapa’ Mathazia, Batsirai Chigama, Charity Hutete, and RuTendo DeNise, with Wadzanai Chiuriri as MC.

The Sistaz Open Mic ‘after-party’ continues from 5.30pm with the lady of love songs Plaxedes Wenyika and her backing band, until 7pm, featuring songs from her albums ‘Tisa Paradzane’, ‘Kamumhanzi’, ‘Sentiments’ ‘Full Circle’ and her very latest single ‘Kuva Newe’ (Being with you), hot from the studio and expected on the airwaves next week.

The Women’s Day commemoration by Pamberi Trust is supported in part by the Embassy of Canada for the second year running, giving vital support to initiatives for freedom of expression by women artists and gender advancement in general.

Other events to mark the week at Book Cafe include a free screening presented by Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe on Wednesday 6 March of the film ‘CUT’ – a confrontation with the brutal practice of female genital mutilation; a delightful evening performance on Thursday 7 March by three of Zimbabwe’s popular women artists entitled ‘3Generations: Dudu, Uzanele and Clare’, and a networking session for women artists and organisations before the Sistaz Open Mic.

International Women’s Day around the world
The 2013 Theme for celebrations around the world is ‘The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.  Each year International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 around the world, by individuals and organisations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women’s groups, corporations and the media.  Thousands of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women each year, and to draw attention to global and local gender issues.

Over time and distance, the equal rights of women have progressed.  In Zimbabwe, there is much to be celebrated, and the Sistaz Open Mic on Saturday 9 March will honour some of the women in the Arts in Zimbabwe, who have

Sistaz Open Mic falls under the gender project FLAME (Female Literary Arts & Music Enterprise) of Harare-based arts development organisation Pamberi Trust, which has worked with hundreds of women artists over the years and commemorated the 16 Days of activism every year since 2007, with women artists speaking out loud and proud in protest against violence in our society.

The Book Cafe celebrations this March follow on from a powerful programme in November-December 2012 with 16 events staged around the global campaign ’16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women’, which featured film, discussion, workshops and music and poetry performances, graced by US hiphop artist Akua Naru and over 80 women artists of Zimbabwe.

As always, Sistaz Open Mic promises to be a lively and highly entertaining affair, with a strong sense of purpose – it’s a time for women of Harare to come out to meet, learn more, and celebrate themselves against a backdrop of great music and poetry from sisters in the Arts.

Other aspects of the gender programme are supported by Hivos, the European Union and other partners.

- Press Release from the Book Cafe

It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. I was so preposterously serious in those days. . . . Lightly, lightly—it’s the best advice ever given me. So throw away your baggage and go forward. There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet, trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That’s why you must walk so lightly. Lightly, my darling.
~ Aldous Huxley

Via The Guardian: Happy birthday to Misao Okawa, the world’s oldest woman, as she celebrates her 115th birthday at the nursing home in Osaka, Japan. Guinness World Records confirmed she was the world’s oldest woman last month. Photograph: Tomohito Okada/AFP/Getty Images

Photo credit: VOA … Mugabe celebrates his 89th birthday

Police bar NCA Constitution meeting in Chipinge. So we can vote in the Referendum 16 March but we mustn’t talk about it before then?

On Wednesday, 20th of February 2013, the nation woke up to the shocking news of the ten year old Tsitsi Stacey Munjoma who was raped and found dead in a Maize/Banana field in Rugare suburb.  In reaction to this tragic news 7 women activists came together and agreed that they would not sit back but do something about it. They decided to call upon the community to actively assist the ZRP in the arrest of the perpetrators. Taking a cue from the Rugare Community who came together uniting against this ordeal, the 7Sisters organized a march to honor Tsitsi Stacey and sensitize the community on the need to assist the police with their investigations.

We are cordially inviting you to this march taking in Rugare.

Date: Saturday, 9th of March 2013
Time: 10 – 11:30am
Route: Exit Road into Kambuzuma from Rugare (close to where the body was found)

Dress code: All black and please bring a white cloth such as a hankie, headdress etc for peace and hope for rape free communities.

Directions: Those travelling by kombis drop off the Rugare bus stop from town after robots. Driving: driving from town, pass the Rugare robots, as if you are going to Mufakose, the left turn into Rugare, come into Rugare.

Tag a Life Inter(TaLI) an organization that exists to ‘Make the World a Safe Place for the Girl Children’, has facilitated the police clearance and coordination for the March.

We hope to see you there.

For further details and on confirmation, LIKE our FB page Justice for Tsitsi Stacey Munjoma now or Call (0)777-549090 or email 7sisters [at] gmail [dot] com / tag.alife [at] gmail [dot] com

The basic qualification for voting in the Referendum is stated in section 6 of the Referendums Act: “Any person who satisfies the presiding officer of a polling station that he or she is eighteen years or above and is eligible to be registered as a voter on the voter’s roll” is eligible to vote.

It is not necessary to be a registered voter. Eligibility to be registered as a voter is all that is required. Voters’ rolls will not be used in the Referendum.

Documents Needed to Vote in the Referendum
At the polling station a voter must be able to provide proof of eligibility to vote. The new regulations stipulate what documents are needed [Regulations, section 3]. All the voter needs to do is to produce one of the following documents, on which “it is legibly shown that that the person is a citizen of Zimbabwe of or over the age of eighteen [18] years”:

Zimbabwe national identity document [except IDs of non-citizens - see more below] issued in terms of the National Registration Act [metal or plastic]

OR

“Waiting pass” which includes a photograph of the holder. A waiting pass is the document that one gets when applying for a national ID and that serves as proof of registration until the ID itself is received.

OR

A valid Zimbabwean passport.

Source: Veritas