14 Dec 2018
Community Water Alliance efforts in fighting debt Justice in water sector received a thumbs up from Justice Dube in a case pitting Law Society of Zimbabwe and Cephas Madyanyoka v Well-Cash Debt Collectors (HC 11442/17).
The fight against brutal debt management policies by CWA emanate from the fact that there is need to protect rights of the indigent and the strong thinking of a human rights-based approach to development in water sector.
Community Water Alliance engaged Law Society of Zimbabwe, Legal Resources Foundation and Zimbabwe NGO Forum. Meetings to prepare the case were hosted by the Law Society of Zimbabwe. Free legal services were provided by the Law Society of Zimbabwe. Community Water Alliance member Cephas Madyanyoka who was second applicant withdrew under suspicious circumstances.
The learned judge Justice Dube delivered judgment and ordered that:
1) Well-Cash threats of taking legal action as if it were a legal firm violates Section 9(2)(b) of the Legal Practitioners Act.
2) Well-Cash Debt Collectors cease and desist from sending any further letters threatening legal action.
3) Well-Cash shall pay costs of the application.
7 Dec 2018
Research – An overview of the Agribusiness Sector In Zimbabwe: A Focus on the Horticultural Sector
Deadline: 21 December 2018 (12.00 hours)
Objective
The National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) and its partners, i.e the SMAIAS. SAPST, ZAN & ZiCHIRe seeks proposals from Consultants to carry out an overview of the Agribusiness sector in Zimbabwe with a specific focus on the horticultural sector and publish a research paper from the findings.
The agricultural sector remains the pillar of the economy in Zimbabwe and recent policy pronouncements by the Government of Zimbabwe that the country is open for business and that export oriented agriculture will play critical role have heightened expectations within and without boarders that agribusiness firms will play a central role in the country’s agricultural development. With debates ensuring in policy and academic circles over the likely impact of agribusiness investments, it becomes imperative to undertake a study to examine the state of the agribusiness sector in Zimbabwe. Experiences in other African countries such as Mozambique which underwent a liberalisation path have shown the rapacious nature of some of the investments on one hand while some other examples reflect economic development largely driven by the agricultural sector. Given the underperformance of the agricultural sector since following the implementation of the Fast Track Land Resettlement Programme (FTLRP), it becomes crucial to examine the agriculture policy environment in the context of a liberalised agenda. The conditions which allow farmers to access external markets are also critical to examine as they impact on the overall well-being of farmers.
The research is intended to evaluate the overall policy framework on agricultural investment and growth and go on to identify agribusiness firms involved in the horticultural sector. The study must also ascertain the level of agribusiness support to smallholders, scale of smallholder farmers involved in the horticultural sector. A thorough assessment of the input and output market is expected from the researcher and recommendations how smallholder participation in the horticultural sector can be enhanced.
Methodology
Apart from key informant interviews and / or focus group discussions, the Consultant will conduct a desk review of existing data, reports other studies and various documents which include EU documents on the state of agriculture in Zimbabwe, the EU NIP Zimbabwe documents, prior research papers into the area of study as well as reports from SMAIAS. Where possible, interviews with agribusiness firms, relevant government and EU officials as well as some programme beneficiaries will be conducted to corroborate desk research findings.
Organization of Work
The consultant will: Work closely with SMAIAS and NANGO secretariat and other project partners; Report to the Project Coordinator
Deliverables
The researcher is expected to submit the following reports:
a) First draft – following completion of the data sources, the researcher will submit a draft report on findings for review by NANGO and the technical team (Agriculture-based economic development & research sector) within the agreed time frame.
b) Final draft – one week after NANGO and the technical team have reviewed the first draft and communicated comments to the researcher, the Consultant will produce the final research report for publication.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience of the Researcher
The following skills, experience and competencies are required: At least a Masters level qualification in a relevant discipline such as Development Studies or Agricultural Economics and must have extensive knowledge and experience in Agrarian Studies;
To apply
Interested Consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their suitability for the assignment: Technical Proposal detailing proposed methodology of work and approach; Financial proposal in USD and a work plan; Detailed Curricula Vitae including past relevant experience; 3 (three) contactable references;
Proposal submissions in sealed envelopes marked CSO NIP RESEARCH must reach the following address by 12:00 hours on 9 November 2018: NANGO Head Office, 15 Bodle Avenue, Eastlea, Harare. Alternatively, applications can be submitted electronically to programsmanager.nango@gmail.com cc: info.nangozim@gmail.com
7 Dec 2018
n 2019 …. actually, next month, COMALISO intends to hit the ground running by getting REAL economists to get this stumbling country off its crutches. We can’t wait and watch the proverbial rogue meteor of bad economic and political policies disintegrate in our faces. Young economists have taken a back seat for too long, so here is an opportunity for them to have their say EVERY month in an informal but conducive environment. This is part of our “Tentacles of Pain” project whose objective is to input progressive liberal ideas in Zimbabwe and the region that mitigate the negative impact of bad policies. South Africa is facing elections next year; and both EFF and ANC are considering changing the constitution to expropriate property without compensation. They need our … your advice.
I kindly ask you to circulate the attached flyer to your stakeholders, partners, clients who are or know local economists, so we can have a strong database of individuals to help change our country and region’s fortunes. COMALISO will also approach individual corporates to support this our monthly breakfast dialogues project. This idea is inspired by Adam Smith, 18th Century author of the classic ‘The Wealth of Nations’.
Development Watch Issue: The 2022 Mid-Year Budget Review Statetement
Development Watch Volume 4, Issue 5
Development Watch Volume 4, Issue 4
30 Nov 2018
Manicaland Youth Association (MAYA) joins the rest of the world in commemorating the 2018 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence. It is disturbing that while we have been commemorating these days in the previous years, advocating for peace in the homes, violence increasing in the workplace. MAYA condemns all forms of violence perpetrated against women and girls by virtue of their gender. If there is no peace at the workplace there won’t be peace in the homes either. Women and girls deserve respect and protection form society.
MAYA will continue to lobby government to allow more tax cuts on items that relate to girls and women among them free duty of sanitary wear and the products that are used to produce sanitary pads. It is against this background that we stand together to help women and girls to access medication and other related items. We stand with others in condemning child marriages that are also being used to reduce the worth of girls when they are supposed to be in schools.
We are concerned when women are subjected to conditions that are inhuman and degrading in their places of work. Some women are subjected to sexual harassment in order to get a job and this has resulted in breakages of marriages and relationships. MAYA stands with these women in condemning such acts that reflect cowardice. Besides the 16 Days of Activism, MAYA still continues to lobby and advocate for stakeholders and duty bearers to put their policies into practice especially at the workplace. Stricter measures need to be put in place so that women are safe at the workplace and compete in the production cycle without being degraded at all levels. Men and women are equal partners and the nation should embrace equality.
The following are recommendations that were brought forward by 140 various stakeholders comprising of directors, junior counsellors, junior parliamentarians, government ministries, independent commissions, labor, development partners, private sector and the church who attended the 10th NGO Directors Summer School in Bulawayo.
NANGO, as the coordinating body of NGOs, has the role of prioritising and streamlining the recommendations. The first step has been to categorise the recommendations in four clusters which are social, economic, political and legal. Each is led by a sector specialist.
n a bid to increase women representation and effective participation of women leaders in public administration and civil society organisations, Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) with support from Hivos mobilised 20 women leaders to participate in the 10th NGO Directors Summer School. This intervention is anchored on increasing women’s effective participation through capacity building and providing support for exposure visits to learn from best practices.
In that regard, the NGO Directors Summer School offered the Board Chairperson of WCoZ, Rinika Mumbire, an opportunity to explore the importance of fighting corruption through strategies such as exposing all local, national, regional occurrences of fraud, corruption and illicit flows of resources, together with any actions which point towards the capture of public institutions for purely private illicit and fraudulent interests.
She was guided by the topic “Winning the fight against corruption – roadmap to Zimbabwe’s transformation”.
Mumbire highlighted that a study by the World Bank titled Corruption and women in government concluded that higher rates of female participation in government are associated with lower levels of corruption. Women have higher ethical behavior and appear to be more concerned about common good.
“While women are less involved in corruption themselves, they are more disadvantaged from the consequences of a corrupt system themselves,” she said.
Mumbire added that corrupt systems reinforce existing gender discrimination especially regarding inheritance, property rights and financial independence. Corruption in revenue systems reduces revenue, exposes women to abuse and affects income and livelihoods of women.
To curb the capture of public institutions Mumbire proposed increased participation of women in decision making, capacitation of women to hold decision making positions, addressing the deep roots of corruption, offering free legal aid to victims of corruption as well as acknowledging presence and functions of structures such as Anti-Corruption Commission.
She emphasized that fighting corruption is key in achieving vision 2030.
WCoZ mobilised women from Zimbabwe Women’s Bureau, Women’s Space, Shamwari yemwana Sikana, Imba Mukadzi, Zimbabwe’s Women’s Resource Center Network, Gender Peace and Security Networks, Zimbabwe Young women For Peace Network, Tony Waite, DP Foundation, Emthonjeni Women’s Forum, Girls Women and Empowerment Network, Proweb, Young Women Christian Association, The Foundation project Trust, Female Prisoners Trust, Women Development Association in Zimbabwe, Life Health and Education, J.M Busha 54 Races and Kastwe Sisterhood.
Civil society organisations met with the SADC Chairperson and President of Namibia, Hage Geingob to present their call for Zimbabwe to promote, consolidate and maintain democracy, peace and security.
The National Board Chairperson of the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO), Wadzanai Vere, was part of the delegation that was led by Rashid Mahiya, the Chairperson of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and Director of Heal Zimbabwe. The delegation comprised of Okay Machisa, Reverend Useni Sibanda, directors ofZimbabwe Human Rights Association and Zimbabwe Christian Alliance, respectively, and Blessing Vava the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Regional Director.
The meeting with the SADC Chairperson builds up on the NANGO Green Paper Series that documented engagements between civil society and political party leaders, independent commissions and independent election candidates. The engagements which started before elections were aimed at inculcating sustainable peace beyond the election season. The continued engagement with government went further to include SADC in discussing the emergency of protecting citizens’ socio-economic and political rights.
Rashid Mahiya, the Chairperson of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, in his presentation stated that Zimbabwe has not fully implemented the 2013 Constitution. The implementation of the constitution has been slow and there is limited movement in repealing repressive legislation which is in conflict with the constitution. Society continues to call for security sector and media reforms and the non-implementation of recommendations by the SADC Election Observer Mission to facilitate for diaspora voting.
“There is a perpetual economic meltdown which has resulted in high levels of inflation and an increase in domestic debt which has compromised the government’s capacity for the provision of social services. If left unresolved this has economic, social and security effects at a regional level. We however acknowledge efforts at attracting foreign and local investments” Mahiya said.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Chairperson added that “The Zimbabwean society is heavily divided and polarised and there is huge trust deficit characterised by a perpetuation of political polarisation in post-election period”.
Mahiya also spoke about military involvement in civilian processes and gave an example of the events of August 01, 2018 in which the military shot seven unarmed civilians in the full glare of both regional and international media. He also said the media particularly the state-controlled media continues to be partial perpetuating divisions in society.
Lastly, he asserted that while Zimbabwe is a signatory to both the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections and the African Charter on Democracy and Elections, there is limited movement in domesticating and implementing these protocols and that there are fears the next elections will be held under undemocratic conditions if this is not addressed.
The delegation proposed interventions which should be understood in the context of the ongoing political and economic crisis bedevilling the country.
1) That SADC should consider supporting an internal and inclusive stakeholders’ dialogue in Zimbabwe. It is our conviction that the dialogue process must involve all stakeholders and a national visioning process that has civil society, government, political parties, business, religious groups and labour unions among other critical stakeholders on board. The national dialogue should seek to realise the foundational values and vision of SADC in creating a Common Future, a future within a regional community that will ensure economic well-being, improvement of the standards of living and quality of life, freedom and social justice and peace and security for the people of Southern Africa.
2) SADC should promote and support efforts at arresting the economic downturn in Zimbabwe and encourage Zimbabwe to adopt and implement pro-poor inclusive economic development policies. Efforts at economic transformation, stabilisation and growth should meet the expectations of the SADC objective of achieving sustained ‘Economic Growth and Sustainable Development so that people in the region have better living standards and employment opportunities.’
3) SADC in its endeavour to promote democratic principles in the region, should encourage the Government of Zimbabwe to uphold and guarantee citizens’ rights as enshrined in the Zimbabwean Constitution and other regional and international human rights treaties and statutes. SADC should encourage Zimbabwe to fulfil its obligations as spelt out in the SADC Treaty which designates “solidarity, peace and security; respect for human rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law and peaceful settlement of disputes” as its founding principles.
4) The SADC community in line with its objective of ensuring a democratic ad economically developed region should institute discussions on the situation in Zimbabwe and develop a political and economic rescue package that is predicated on democratic progress.
The delegation met at the backdrop of post-election violence, foreign currency shortage, cholera outbreak, shortage of drugs and basic commodities. These and other issues will be further deliberated at the NGO Directors Summer School the will be held in Bulawayo on 15 and 16 November 2018.
NANGO is a non-party political, non-profit making organisation and non-denominational official coordinating body of NGOs in Zimbabwe. It is mandated by its membership to coordinate the activities of NGOs, represent the NGO sector and strengthen the voice of NGOs in Zimbabwe. NANGO also coordinates various civil society responses to emerging issues in Zimbabwe.
Community Alliance for Human Settlements in Zimbabwe (CAHSZ) is a grassroots based, membership driven social solidarity alliance of twelve community based organisations and pressure groups in communities previously affected by arbitrary displacements and house demolitions in former commercial farming and mining communities, urban and peri-urban informal settlements across Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Manicaland and Harare Metropolitan provinces over the past two decades.
CAHSZ believes that the recovery of these communities from the ravaging effects of arbitrary displacements, and pursuit of durable solutions to the myriad of challenges they face can be best achieved if they meaningfully participate in socio-economic, civic and political processes at local and national levels. Consequently, CAHSZ works to mobilize, organize and capacitate internally displaced persons (IDPs) by providing access to information and constitutional literacy to enable them to meaningfully participate and influence the formation of policies that will yield durable solutions to their longstanding challenges. CAHSZ also create strategic platforms and partnerships with other citizens, state and non-state actors locally, regionally and internationally to enable IDP communities to access support in their pursuit of durable solutions to the cross-cutting challenges they face.
Although CAHSZ’s approach is community centred, their work is national in scope and impact with the agenda being shaped by nationally obtaining political and socio-economic conditions. CAHSZ seek to influence national laws, policies and decisions that facilitate the recovery of all IDPs. Their goal is to ensure that while Zimbabwe’s responses to IDPs’ challenges are shaped by regional and international standards and best practices, those solutions should be tailor-made to address the specific needs of local IDPs. CAHSZ believes that safe and proper migration and settlements with safe and secure access to socio-economic and productive resources such as land is the panacea for socio-economic growth for IDPs and Zimbabweans at large.
Through their broadly inclusive and issue-based advocacy, CAHSZ has managed to bring IDPs’ issues on the national policy discussion fora thereby managing to influence national policy.
For more about CAHSZ contact +263773011445 or +263719278003 or email fmukora@gmail.com or tmandevhana@gmail.com
Terms of Reference
Consultancy Assignment for Stakeholder Analysis and Mapping of Civil Society Organisations in Zimbabwe
Deadline: 12 October 2018 (12.00 hours)
Objective
The National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) and its partners, i.e. SAPST, SMAIAS, ZAN & ZiCHIRe seeks proposals from Consultants to carry out an in-depth mapping exercise of civil society organisations in Zimbabwe that are involved in monitoring, evaluation and advocacy in the three focal areas of the National Indicative Program (NIP) i.e. health, agriculture based economic development and governance & institution building.
The stakeholder mapping exercise is expected to provide NANGO and its partners with information that can help create a platform for long term joint monitoring and advocacy of the NIP program.
Scope of work
Outputs
The Consultant will be expected compile, assess, and synthesize key organisational information and produce a comprehensive report containing the listing and mapping of CSOs/ CBOs involved in projects that relate to the three focal areas of the NIP.
Description and mapping of other private sector organisations involved in the NIP including a compilation of relevant corporate information
Timeframe
The work will be conducted between 25 & 31 October 2018. Final report is expected to be completed and submitted by the 1st of November 2018.
REQUIREMENTS
Knowledge/Expertise
Education/Experiences
Skills and Abilities
Application Procedure
Interested Consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their suitability for the assignment:
Alternatively applications can be submitted electronically to info.nangozim@gmail.com.
Public health
Sexual reproductive health and rights
Education
Sports and recreation
Social protection
Water and sanitation
Remove import duty on capital goods and other products meant for use by children with disabilities such as sunscreen for children with albinism, wheelchairs, learning or assistive devices and large print books among other things
Put more funds in infrastructural development to make existing facilities including schools, bridges and recreational facilities disability-friendly for example ramps/rails, beds and toilets
Child participation
Provision of grants to support families of children in difficult conditions, residential care homes and disabled children living on/off the streets.
