Open Invitation to a Report Launch Event From CIVICUS and OSISA

You are invited...

CIVICUS:    World Alliance For Citizen Participation and the Open Society Initiative for    Southern Africa (OSISA) are very pleased to invite you to the launch of the   2008-2011 Phase of the Civil Society Index (CSI) findings and summary    report: Bridging the gaps: Citizens, organisations and dissociation.

Discussion    Topic:

 “Are    citizens disconnected from civil society organisations?”

When: 02 September 2011 from 14:00 – 16:00 hours

Where: Ground Floor, President Place, 1 Hood Avenue / 148 Jan    Smuts Avenue
    Rosebank, South    Africa. 

Snacks    will be served.

RSVP by 01 September 2011 to   Mariatu Fonnah, at mariatu.fonnah@civicus.org. If you have    already RSVP'd, this is for information purposes only. Please feel free to  invite your networks!

Meeting on the Diaspora and Zimbabwean Education a Huge Success!

Dear colleagues and friends

I am so happy to let you now that several organisations in the Diaspora have just hosted a successful initial skype meeting whose agenda was the possible supportive role of the Diaspora in the education sector back home in Zimbabwe.

We will be sharing with you some of the key resolutions of the meeting in the next few days.

The skype meeting was attended by the following persons:

1. Daniel Molokele (skype host) – SA

2. Dewa Mavhinga (chairing) – SA

3. Michelle Hakata – UK

4. Whiteboy Tembo – Australia

5. Stan Mukasa – USA

6. Jerry Bungu – Botswana

7. Solomon Chikohwero – SA

8. Grace Mupfurutsa - UK

9. Lenox Mhlanga – Botswana

10. Linos Mapfumo - SA

11. Walter Mpofu - UK

Daggers Drawn OutAgainst Malema and the Youth League

Julius Sello ‘Juju’ Malema whowas born on 3rd March 1981 in the northern Limpopo province, hassuddenly become the new bold face of South African politics.

The African NationalCongress (ANC) Youth League President has in the past five years experienced ameteoric rise to national, if not international recognition.
So love him or hatehim, you simply cannot ignore him at all.


In a country that is at crossroads in terms of being decisive in terms of both its identity and itsmorality, Malema appears to be slowly emerging as a compass for the country’snext future direction.

Just a few months ago, he wasoverwhelmingly given a new mandate to be the leader of the highly vocal YouthLeague at its major conference in June at Midrand.

But perhaps what is moresignificant is the manner in which he retained the presidency of the youthmovement. Unlike at the previous congress at Mangaung during April 2008, wherehe won a hotly disputed contest against Saki Mofokeng, this time Malema rompedto victory virtually unchallenged.

The ANC Youth League Chairperson for theGauteng province Lebogang Maile was rumoured to be the only possible credible challengerto Malema but when even his own province nominated his would be rival as itspreferred candidate, the race was immediately declared a no-contest.

So as fate would have it, Malema was re-elected unopposed after being resoundingly backed by all the provincesof the youth movement.

Traditionally, the Youth Leagueis highly regarded as a serious kingmaker in the higher echelons of ANCpolitics and Malema has moved fast to reassert its role in this regard. In athinly veiled threat to the ANC President Jacob Zuma, he declared during hisvictory speech on 16th June that the Youth League would only backcandidates who also publicly backed its policy positions.

Pointedly the two major positionsthat the youth movement are already pushing for seem to be at logger heads withZuma’s interests.

Firstly, the youth league ispushing for a radical leadership renewal at the centenary 2012 conference inMangaung. Specifically they are calling for youth candidates to dominate thenew leadership that will be elected at the congress. According to the plan, theYouth League will ensure that most of the old guard will be challenged byyounger candidates who will be fully backed it.

In particular, they are seekingfor the election of their former leader, the firebrand known as Fikile Mbalulaas the new Secretary General. In so doing, they find themselves at directloggerhead with the Young Communist League (YCL), the South African CommunistParty (SACP) and potentially the Congress of South African Trade Unions(COSATU) who are most likely to re-affirm their support for the incumbent,Gwede Mantashe.

Unenviably, Zuma has to decidewhether to side with the Youth League or the traditional Alliance partners.This is a very tough call for him to make since it could make or break him atthe 2012 Congress if he backs the losing horse.

Secondly, the Youth League appearsmore determined than ever to continue on their unequivocal stance onnationalisation with the racially skewed mining industry as it primary target.Under Zuma’s leadership, the ANC appears to be more diplomatic and ambivalenton its stance. This is in direct contrast to the decisive position that theYouth League has taken already.

Curiously though, while the YouthLeague stance has been dismissed as populist by many critics, it is actually amore realistic approach from a broader national perspective. A lot of SouthAfricans especially the black majorities are most likely to be swayed by theYouth League’s radical rhetoric as it is. Significantly it is the black youthwho are wallowing in the muddy waters of ever growing unemployment who are mostlikely to prove to be the most vocal supporters of the Youth League.

So it appears that on thismatter, Malema and his colleagues are definitely gauging the restless and volatilemood in the country. In this regard, it appears that the Youth League hassuccessfully out manoeuvred the supposedly leftist elements in the Alliancesuch as the YCL, SACP and COSATU.

And so it happens that instrategically positioning itself as the most relevant political institution atgrassroots community level, the Youth League (read Malema!) has also createdseveral other enemies in the same process.

A mere glance at the political dynamicswithin the Alliance politics, clearly suggests that the relationship betweenthe Youth League and the partners has soured in the last few years. There is nolove lost between the Youth league and the likes of YCL, SACP and COSATU.

The mood in the top brass alsoappears opaque and less crystal at the moment. However it appears that theYouth League also has a lot of backers there. In particular it seems Mbalula and the Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe have both emerged as the youthmovement’s point persons.

Another dark horse, the veteran WinnieMadikizela-Mandela has also been a close ally for Malema of late. She was seenon his side and even kissed him in public in spectacular show of strong supportduring the ‘hate speech’ trial that emanated from his controversial song ‘DubulaIbhunu’ (literally, shoot the Boer!)

Outside the ANC and Alliance politics,the Youth League has obvious enemies such as a hostile media which the youthmovement perceives to be largely dominated by the conservative and patriarchal whiteestablishment.

The Youth League appears to haveno sympathisers in the opposition parties ranks with the Democratic Alliance asits most vocal nemesis.

It is in this context that Malemaand the Youth League find themselves in the heat of battle at the moment. This isthe battle for the soul and future of the ANC that will culminate in the electiveMangaung conference in 2012.

The rise in the number of attackson both Malema and the Youth League are mere symptoms of a bigger politicalbattle as in the case of Zuma in the run up to the Polokwane conference in2007.

The big question now is whetherMalema has the same level of conviction, dexterity and may be luck, to survivethe onslaught just as Zuma did with both the serious rape and corruptioncharges in 2005.

As they say the more thingschange, the more they stay the same. Indeed history keeps repeating itselfespecially when it comes to the politics of the ANC.

These are very interesting timesto live in South Africa. Watch this space for more updated analysis as thepolitical drama continues to unfold as the race hots up for electoral glory at Mangaung in 2012.

Nora Tapiwa: Warrior for Peace and Social Justice

What inspired me the most about Nora Tapiwa was how she still manages to keep hope alive – against all odds.

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Zimbabwe was liberated by people in the diaspora in 1980, says Nora Tapiwa.

You may not have heard about this amazing woman - because she is not a diva activist. But her diminutive appearance masks a larger-than-life activist within. When she begins to speak, she is transformed into a warrior for peace and social justice.

Norah is a family-oriented person who describes herself as a mother, grandmother, widow, banker by profession and last but not least an activist by passion. She works tirelessly with an unrelenting enthusiasm – and draws no salary.

“I survive by God’s grace and handouts,” she said when I asked about her lifestyle. She was widowed and left to raise two children on her own.

“It’s tough living as a parent in a foreign country, with no salary or school fees for your children,” she said. I’m startled to realise that her voice does not have a single trace of self pity. She is not looking for people to throw her a pity party. Rather, she is looking for honest and sincere ways of resolving the crisis in Zimbabwe.

Tapiwa is one of the many unsung heroes in the struggle for a democratic Zimbabwe.

“I get value from making a difference to other people’s lives, especially those at grassroots levels,” she said. It is obvious that she is not looking for any particular recognition for the work she has done.

“Recognition for what? We are not in this for the recognition. I don’t blow my own trumpet,” she says.

Far away from newspaper headlines and television appearances, Tapiwa has led the fight for exiled Zimbabwean teachers. She was hugely involved in discussions with the South African government that culminated in the documentation programme run by the Department of Home Affairs.

She is reluctant to answer a question of whether she feels robbed that she has fought the struggles of other professions but no one seems to be fighting for her.

“We have a leadership vacuum in Zimbabwe which must not be exported to the diaspora. Teachers were being de-professionalised in the diaspora and we could not just sit by and watch so we engaged the South African government and they were allowed to teach at some schools. Teachers are the backbone of society,” she says.

This kind of activism did not spring to life in South Africa for Norah. “I was part of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU), and whenever we led a strike action, we would not get paid but I did it anyway because it was a small price to pay to improve our working conditions,” she reveals.

She also believes that activism is a calling and that it’s not for everyone, but insists that every Zimbabwe has a part to play in its liberation. “We are like a bicycle wheel, one spoke cannot sustain the whole tire. So each Zimbabwean has a role to play in the fight for our restoration,” she says.

She maintains that Zimbabwe was liberated by people in the diaspora in 1980 and that Zimbabweans in the diaspora have the power to liberate their country again.

Nora left home in 2003 because she feared for her life and that of her two children. As she describes the situation that drove her from her house, tears well up in her eyes.

“I was not part of any political organisation but black-suited man came to my house and threatened me,” she speaks quietly. We can only speculate that is was her work in the unions that gained her notoriety with the state. She hasn’t been back since she left.

Within spaces of activism, it is usually forgotten that there are lives that have to be lived, families to take care of and homes to sustain. These suffer the moment you give yourself to the struggle. But with the culture of activism changing - and people putting more emphasis on travel and per diems at the expense of work that transforms lives - those who still stand on hope alone, or on the grace of God , may feel a sense of betrayal.

Yet, women like Nora will always stand as beacons of inspiration to those who have lost everything and have been victims of politically motivated violence.

On the occasion of Women’s Month in South Africa, Nora is disillusioned. Her hope for women is that there will come a day when there won’t be a need for Women’s Day or Women’s Month. She believes that women are more passionate than men, and if they are empowered then a nation is better off.

It is the woman who makes a house a home. She does not see the relevance of commemorating days like these because there just hasn’t been sufficient awareness to stop violence against women in all its ugly forms.

Rather, she argues for more sustained resource mobilisation targeted at women to help them start their own enterprises and thus liberate themselves from poverty. “Women should not wait for things to happen but should make things happen,” she concluded. -

By Regina Pazvakavamba, Media & Communications Assistant in the Crisis in Zimbabwe regional office. Additional reporting by Levi Kabwato.

Solomon Mujuru is Dead

RETIRED army general Solomon Mujuru died last night in a suspicious fire accident at his farm in Betrice in what sources claimed on Tuesday was both political and domestic motivated.

The sources, speaking strictly on condition that they would not be named, said Mujuru, the husband of vice president Joice Mujuru, died in an interno together with his girl friend.

* Radio VOP

SPEED Appears to the Password to Arsenal's Trophy Success in the New Season

SPEED appears to be the main password to Arsenal football club's pathway to trophy success in the new season.

A panoramic view of the pre-season transfer strategy that Arsene Wenger has been employing clearly reveals his keen focus on buying speedy but highly technical players bustling with so much creative attack in their attributes.

The purchase of Gervino, Alex and the inclusion of Ryo seems to emphasise that point of the transfer strategy.

This becomes more pronounced when one considers the fact that contrary to popular expectations especially from the unsettled fans, Wenger hs up to now not purchased a strong and tall central defender.

Wenger seems to be reamining firm in his philosophical conviction that attack remains the best form of defence.

What has changed slighly during the long summer break is that Wenger seems to be more emphatic on the use of the counter attack as a potential weapon to unlock difficult games for the Gunners.

This then explains the obsession with speedy wingers in his present transfer strategy.

Wenger has noted that the Gunners conceded less goals from open play. However, most of their goals were from set pieces and counter attacks.

So the new strategy will be to draw the opposition towards the Arsenal side of the pitch and then unleash a speedy counter attack.

This may happen when there is a set piece for Arsenal to defend like a corner kick, and then straight from the dead ball situation, the Gunners will unleash a quick counter attack using its speedy wingers like Theo, Gervino, Alex and Ryo.

This will also have the added vallue of unsettling the tall defenders from the opposing teams who normally venture to the Arsenal half only when there is a dead ball situation.

A good example of that would be defenders like Rio Ferdinand from Manchester United, John Terry from Chelsea and Christopher Samba from Blackburn Rovers.

It seems that during the last few years, Wenger has noted that most opposing teams stay up on their side of the pitch and allow Arsenal to keep posession without any direct impact.

This is called 'parking the bus'

This season the Gunners will play less on the opposition side of the pitch and by so doing force their opponents to be drawn out towards them.

This will allow for long balls to be sent from the Arsenal backside and give the speedy wingers a chance to run behind the back of the oppositon defence with a deadly impact.

This is something we have already seen Gervino do with so much destructive effect in the pre season games.

So it appears that Wenger as an Alsatian, has managed to borrow a leaf from the military strategy thatw as used by the generals from the NAZI Germany war years.

It is called the blitzkrieg or the lightning war strategy.

Be afraid. Be very afraid!

Beitbridge Border Post Set for a US$97 million Facelift

THE Beitbridge Border Post is set for a US$97 million facelift which promoters of the project say will cut by up to 75 percent transit delays that currently last as long as four hours.

Beitbridge is one of the busiest border posts in the SADC economic region, handling more than 12,000 travellers and 3,500 vehicles a day in the festive season.

Annually, this amounts to four million people, one million vehicles and millions of tons of freight.
But with traffic flows hitting record levels in recent years, facilities at the Post have proved woefully inadequate.

It can take up to four hours to transit the Post with the delays particularly worse during peak holiday periods.

 

However, Standard Bank -- lead financiers of the upgrade -- say the delays would be reduced by up to 75 percent after the upgrade which will be completed within 18 months.

“The BBP has long been identified as a major bottleneck in the smooth flow of traffic along the North-South Corridor (NSC) which links South Africa to Zimbabwe, Northern Mozambique, Eastern Botswana, Zambia, the DRC and Malawi. Alleviating this bottleneck is an imperative for improved regional economic integration and development,” Ziyaad Sarang, Investment Banking head of Infrastructure Finance at Standard Bank said in a statement on Wednesday.

“To this end the Government of Zimbabwe is pursuing the objective of reducing the time to transit and the number of stops incurred in a cross border process.”

Modelled along the lines of the One-Stop concept implemented successfully at the Chirundu Border Post between Zimbabwe and Zambia the upgrade project is a Build-Operate-Transfer project under which the promoters will run the facility for 15 years to recoup costs and a profit before handing it back to the authorities.

The promoters will recover their investment through revenue from toll fares charged to travellers and transporters using the upgraded border post infrastructure and related services.

Sarang said the upgrade underlines the strategic importance of the border post to Zimbabwe and the wider region.

 

* New Zimbabwe.com

The Rome Statement for an HIV Cure

Members of the Advisory Board for a global scientific strategy “Towards an HIV Cure” today launched the Rome Statement for an HIV Cure calling for an acceleration of HIV cure research. The announcement was made at the 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) currently being held in Rome.

Recent scientific advances in HIV research have led to a re-emergence of interest and optimism in prospects of at least a functional cure for HIV. The development of a functional cure which, without completely eliminating the virus from the body, would permanently suppress its replication and considerably diminish viral reservoirs, possibly leading to the long-term remission of patients.

Under the auspices of the International AIDS Society, a group of internationally recognized scientists and stakeholders is guiding the development of a global scientific strategy “Towards an HIV Cure”. The strategy aims at building a global consensus on the state of HIV reservoirs research and defining scientific priorities that need to be addressed by future research to tackle HIV persistence in patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy. The strategy will be presented at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) which will be held in Washington DC from 22-27 July 2012. (1)

The International Scientific Working Group is co-chaired by Professor Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, IAS President-Elect and 2008 Nobel Laureate for Medicine, and Professor Steve Deeks, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Positive Health Program (AIDS Program) at San Francisco General Hospital. The working group works closely with an advisory board composed of leading advocates and major research stakeholders in HIV cure, including representatives of people living with HIV and funders and clinicians from high prevalence settings. The Advisory Board is co-chaired by Prof. Barré-Sinoussi and Dr. Jack Whitescarver, Associate Director for AIDS Research and Director of the Office of AIDS Research at the National Institutes of Health.

“While there is certainly a high level of interest being expressed about finding a functional HIV cure (2), it can only be achieved through an increased and concerted international effort engaging not only the scientific community but all stakeholders involved in the HIV/AIDS response and global health,” said Professor Barré-Sinoussi.

“Partnership and collaboration are critical to the efforts to find an HIV cure,” said Dr. Whitescarver. “We need not only the finest minds but the very best in scientific alliances.”

Today’s Rome Statement for an HIV Cure lists the following three key objectives:

• recognizing the importance of developing a safe, accessible and scalable HIV cure as a therapeutic and preventive strategy against HIV infection and to help control the AIDS epidemic.
• committing to stimulating international and multidisciplinary research collaborations in the field of HIV cure research.
• encouraging other stakeholders, international leaders and organizations to contribute to accelerating HIV cure research through their own initiatives and/or by endorsing this statement and supporting the alliance that the Advisory Board is building.

Board members, including co-chairs Professor Barré-Sinoussi and Dr. Whitescarver, have officially endorsed the statement.