The dates for the Zimbabwe International Book Fair have been set for 29 July – 2 August 2019. The Indaba Conference will therefore take place on 29 and 30 July 2019. The theme of the 2019 Indaba Conference is “Footprints of the Book: Milestones & Opportunities”. The many previous themes of the Indaba looked at the character and the future of the book in its various forms and looked too at important issues that affect the writing, publishing and sale of books like piracy, reading culture, pricing and the digital character of the book of today, etc. These, however, tended largely to bemoan the goings on in the book sector in Zimbabwe and Africa since 1980. We tended to be gloomy. It is the Association’s submission that a theme such as Footprints of the Book: Milestones and Opportunities, would give ZIBF an opportunity to look back and identify what stakeholders think are the milestones achieved so far, celebrate them as well as point out clearly how and where each milestone was achieved and what opportunities are should be exploited to bring back the renaissance. A case in point is to go back and see what caused the boom of the 1980’s (which saw the rise of Dambudzo Marechera, Charles and David Mungoshi, Barbara Nkala, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Yvonne Vera, Virginia Phiri, Chenjerai Hove, Musaemura Zimunya, Shimmer Chinodya etc) and find what facilitated it and how it could be triggered again.
Sub-Themes:
Presenters are encouraged to submit their own innovative topics and abstracts that speak to the theme, “Footprints of the Book: Milestones & Opportunities”.The following sub-themes are meant to guide possible research areas although they may be used as research topics:
1) Mutation and the Evolution of the Book
2) Forwards and Backwards: Reminiscing the Book
3) Motivating Content Generation in the Digital Age
4) Creating Synergies in the Book Industry
5) The Political Economy of the Book in Africa
We therefore urge and encourage contributors to the 2019 Indaba to come up with ideas that will benefit all participants in the book value chain.
Submission of abstracts
Abstracts of not more than 500 words and word-processed in Times New Roman script with 1.15 line spacing should be submitted by 15 April 2019 by email toevents@zibfa.org.zw with a copy to zibfa@yahoo.com. The abstracts will be reviewed by experts and authors of selected abstracts will be notified by 30 April 2019. Presenters should submit the full papers and PowerPoint presentations of the full paper by 31 May 2019. Power-point presentations are required and must summarise the full paper in bullet form and should enable presenters to speak to the paper within the allotted time. However, those that must read the paper should summarise it and present within the allotted time.
The National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) mourns the loss of, Frank Mudimba, the Director of Basilwizi Trust and a development torch bearer from the NANGO Western Region.
He was 46.
Mudimba worked closely with NANGO from the time he got into office as Basilwizi Trust Director in 2009 and also sat on the NANGO Western Region board.
During his time as the Director of Basilwizi Trust, the organisation achieved numerous milestones. He coordinated the Zambezi Valley Advocacy Project which led to the recognition of the rights of fishermen from Binga, Hwange and Nyaminyami Districts. He sourced funding from the British Embassy to build a fishing warehouse and a cold room for the Kujatanakwesu warehouse in Binga. Mudimba also coordinated the Community Capacity Building in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Project which contributed towards peaceful elections in 2013 in Binga District. He coordinated the Self-Help Group which contributed to women empowerment, some of the women currently hold leadership positions in their respective institutions. Three women from Nagangala/Sinampande ward chair key community developmental committees – dip tank, school development and clinic committees.
Under his tutelage, Basilwizi, received numerous awards including the 2017 NGO Community Development Partner of the year and best implementing partner for the OVC Good Practice Programming award from Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
An avid reader, researcher, philanthropist and child rights advocate, at the time of his death Mudimba was supporting three disadvantaged girls from Tyunga, Kalungwizi and Siabuwa wards in Binga while in the past he supported vulnerable children through paying for their education and other material needs until they completed secondary level.
His legacy within the NGO sector speaks for itself.
The National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO), the official umbrella body of NGOs operating in Zimbabwe, is concerned with the social, economic and governance trajectory our beloved nation is currently undergoing. Zimbabwe is currently experiencing diverse challenges which call for true servant and inclusive leadership premised on the need to deliver positive development outcomes for all.
NANGO acknowledges at this juncture that Zimbabwe is in need of political leadership, which unites the nation for the common good. Political leadership that has no political boundaries but is driven by the national agenda for development as espoused in various national policies and programmes. Effective implementation of these will contribute towards sustainable socio-economic and governance development. We are cognizant that Zimbabwe has come of age, and that there is sincerity in all-political players to dream and visualize a Zimbabwe that all will cherish and pledge their patriotism.
It is against this background that NANGO calls upon all political players to find each other for the benefit of those living in vulnerable conditions for instance children, women, youths, persons with disabilities, and indigenes amongst others. All what citizens are yearning for is a nation that can offer them opportunities and allow them to realize their dreams, a nation where its people progressively realize their social, economic, environmental and governance rights. All this can remain a mirage if there is discord within the politics of the day.
We therefore call upon our political leaders to consider coming to the table and collaboratively finding a progressive solution to the current challenges we are facing. Only by working together can we move forward. Our country is greatly divided and this is one of the major determinants of our slow to no progress. The just ended harmonized elections showed that the two main political parties have a huge following all garnering over two million votes apiece. As such with the right political leadership we can galvanize development if and only if our political leaders can lead in the unification agenda and work together in developing the nation. Political stratification will not deliver sustainable development but will succeed in perpetuating the current economic outlook. Our humble and heartfelt request is for ZANU PF and MDC to unite for nation building. Zimbabwe let us work together for nation building.
NANGO is a non-party political, non-profit making organisation and non-denominational official coordinating body of NGOs in Zimbabwe with a membership compliment of over a thousand organisations. It carries under its wings an amalgam of various issue constituencies and representative groups all with the singular focus of meeting the development needs of men, women and children in Zimbabwe.
The annual NGO Directors Summer School, a platform that was created for senior leadership in the NGO sector to meet and share knowledge and information with development partners, government and the corporate community celebrates its tenth anniversary.
This year NANGO, its members and various stakeholderstake stock of how NGO Directors have contributed towards inclusivity of all stakeholders in Zimbabwe through strengthening of multi-stakeholder engagements and partnerships. This is also an opportunity to explore how civil society has been able to facilitate dialogue and create synergies among various stakeholders in an endeavor to bridge the gap between the general citizenry and policy makers for meaningful realization of national development.
The NGO Directors Summer School will be held on 15 and 16 November 2018 at Cresta Churchill Hotel in Bulawayo. This year it runs under the theme Towards an inclusive Zimbabwe: A decade of strengthening multi-stakeholder engagements and partnerships.
Objectives of the 2018 NGO Directors Summer School
Expected Outputs
NANGO is the national coordination and umbrella body for over 1000 registered Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Zimbabwe, founded in 1962. It is a non-political, non-partisan, non-profit making and non-denominational organization mandated to coordinate the activities and work of civil society working on the following thematic aspects affecting development: Arts and Culture, Children, Disability, Economic, Health, Human Rights, Humanitarian, Land and Environment, Women and Youth. NANGO works through five regional offices that coordinate the activities of the CSOs in all ten Provinces of Zimbabwe.
Our Vision at NANGO is to become a proactive community of NGOs who are responsive and committed to the sustainable development needs of all people in Zimbabwe and the full realization of human rights, democracy, good governance and poverty alleviation. Our Mission hinges on the commitment to strengthen, represent and coordinate the work of NGOs in Zimbabwe through creation of space that promote networking, dialogue and engagement to enable the fulfillment of member’s visions and missions.
NANGO is a meeting place of the hopes and aspirations of millions of men and women in their capacities as the disabled, the vulnerable, the displaced, the oppressed and a host of other marginalized groups. Concomitantly NANGO bears the responsibility of unifying these various concerns by creating spaces for collaboration, mutual support and the development of common best practices.
Some of the discussion topics to look out for include at the summer school include:
Day One:
This session will aid delegates to reflect on the participation of civil society in national development in the last ten years, explore challenges and opportunities and aid stakeholders to explore best advocacy strategies and synergies.
This is a feedback report from the National Board Chairperson on the strides taken to respond to civil society priority areas as set out at the 9TH NGO Directors Summer School.
The session analyzes the economy’s trajectory and explores further the implications and impact on the general citizenry and non-state actors at large in an endeavor to come up with joint solutions and advocacy plans to improve the economy.
The session will explore the importance of fighting corruption through 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.
The four-way sector specific SONA round table dialogues will afford delegates the opportunity to explore further key economic and social determinants in smaller groups, come up with a way forward for engagement of the state and other key interested parties
Day Two:
Stakeholders to the Conference
It is expected that the Conference will bring together 100 NGO Directors from across the country. Also, the following stakeholders have been invited as well to share experiences and knowledge: government ministries and institutions, independent commissions, labor, development partners, private sector and the church.
31 Jul 2019
NANGO Board Chairperson, Ronika Mumbire, chaired a meeting between Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) officials and NANGO members on 5 June 2019. The meeting deliberated on the PAYE and VAT calculations that were introduced through Public Notice 17 of 2019.
The ZIMRA clarified that:
Employers are required to calculate PAYE using the relevant tax tables. The remuneration in RTGS$ and foreign currency should be added then PAYE determined based on that total amount.
One PAYE return [Form P2] shall be completed in RTGS Dollars. The employer must attach separate schedules showing total remuneration and PAYE in foreign currency and in RTGS Dollars. Tax payable in RTGS Dollars shall be remitted to the Commissioner General’s RTGS Account and the tax payable in foreign currency into the Commissioner General’s Nostro FCA.
The employer shall:
Concerns
30 Jul 2019
The government of Zimbabwe and the European Union (EU) launched the Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Program Fund which is expected to boost the livestock sector, maximise smallholder farmers’ profits and improve competitiveness on domestic and international markets. The programme will be implemented by EU partners over a four-year period and is worth US$45 million.
The ZAGP program mainly targets small to large scale livestock producers, private sector integrators, processors, research organizations, farmers unions and financial service providers among others. ZAGP, which is covering all the country’s 10 provinces, will address the weaknesses and gaps in the livestock sector that have prevented the industry from growing.
Under ZAGP, there will be knowledge and innovation services delivered by agricultural education, extension and research in animal disease control and food safety, institutional reforms and policy alignment. The program is focusing on different value chains and projects within Zimbabwe namely; beef, poultry, dairy, pig and goats, focusing on productivity, production and incomes to their potential.
The EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Timo Olkkonen said that ZAGP is the main program in agricultural growth in Zimbabwe.
“There is need for political willingness to address structural bottlenecks such as security of tenure on land, which is crucial for domestic or foreign investment,” he said.
He expressed concern over the challenges in the livestock sector which he said were affecting production.
Ambassador Olkkonen said “The price of feedstock has increased to more than 50 percent in one year, which will have a terrible impact on the competitiveness of the feed intensive sectors like pig, poultry and dairy in comparison with other sub sectors; there are also regular outbreaks of animal diseases like new castle and foot and mouth diseases that are not contained by the surveillance and disease protection systems”.
The Ambassador also clarified that the ZAGP will reduce risk perception in the livestock sector and will encourage more investment which will improve productivity and competitiveness in the domestic and regional markets.
He called for more efficient ways to use resources and supply food for the population of Zimbabwe to ensure the country is self-sufficient in terms of food.
The Provincial Affairs Minister for Mashonaland West, Mliswa-Chikoka, who was standing in for the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, Perrance Shiri, said the nation’s agricultural growth program in is line with the Government of Zimbabwe’s commitment to transform agricultural systems, increase agricultural production, create greater access to markets and increase investments in livestock value chains.
“Zimbabwe has taken a deliberate policy to promote investment in the agricultural sector due to its importance to the economy. The livestock sector has the potential to increase the country’s contribution to food security and nutrition, foreign currency earnings as well as the creation of employment throughout the livestock related value chains,” she said.
Minister Mliswa-Chikoka encouraged all stakeholders to work together to make the programme successful by strengthening collaboration between the government and ZAGP so that the programme can effectively transform the livestock sector in Zimbabwe through increased and sustained agricultural production, productivity and competitiveness.
“Although the livestock sector continues to record steady growth, there are a number of challenges limiting its contribution to the national economy. These include access to finance and market, diseases leading to low productivity,” said the Minister.
NANGO officials that graced the event had an opportunity to tour different exhibition stands that reflected different value chains and projects within the agriculture sector namely; beef, poultry, dairy, pig and goats. Among the stands visited was the Inclusive Poultry Value Chain, a program awarded EUR 6 million towards improving the poultry value chain in Zimbabwe. The project is set to run for three years from February 2019 to January 2022 and is supported by Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture, Livestock and Meat Advisory Council, Sustainable Agriculture Trust and Welthungerhilfe.
The Beef Enterprise Strengthening and Transformation project is being implemented in five provinces of Zimbabwe. World Vision and Zimbabwe Agriculture Development Trust are some of the partners. The project seeks to create a competitive beef value chain that promotes enhanced trade, employment creation, food security and inclusive green economic growth by 2023.
Zimbabwe Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Services’s goal is to establish an integrated, dynamic, market oriented and farmer centric agricultural knowledge and innovation service system that meets the needs of modern agriculture in Zimbabwe. It promotes interconnectivity of agricultural education, research and extension ensuring relevant and up to date knowledge at all levels.
The veterinary services department provides extension and advisory services on good animal health care, hygiene and husbandry. It carries out surveillance, prevention, control and eradication of specified animal diseases and pests. It generates and provides new knowledge and technologies on pest control and animal health, production practices and decisions and provides information on the components, developments and impacts of the national livestock resource. The veterinary services department also provides regulatory services for the promotion of fair marketing, sanitary safety, quality and animal welfare and develop and implement livestock policies and strategies.
NANGO is monitoring the implementation of the National Indicative Program (NIP) where Agriculture is one of the three pillars of agriculture, health and governance and institution buidling under the program. The launch was attended by over 400 people including government officials, EU officials, representatives of various non-governmental organisations (NGOs), private sector and farming community.
24 Jul 2019
NANGO urges the Government to employ public consultative approaches when developing national and legislations instruments. This comes after prolonged realisation and recognition of exclusion of the public in the various legislative and policy reforms that have been promulgated by the Government.
Section 13 on National Development, subsection 2 of the Consititution provides that ‘Measures referred to in this section must involve the people in the formulation and implementation of development and programmes that affect them’. Thus, the Constitutional provides that the Government must involve the people in formulation of policies and legislations.
Recently, the Government instituted Statutory Instruments (SIs) that have a negative bearing on the welfare of the general public in particular the SI 142/19 and SI 145/19 to mention a few. Evidently, these were developed without an iota of public involvement. These were developed without due diligence and without respect for the right to administrative justice as guaranteed in Chapter 4 Section 68 of the Constitution.
The Government has an obligation of consulting citizens before announcing and effecting any legal and policy instruments. The public have the right to administrative conduct that is lawful, prompt, efficient, reasonable, proportionate, impartial and both substantively and procedurally fair. Ownership and buy-in of new policies by the public is imperative for the success of new policy reforms yet there are several policies that the Government has developed and went on to implement without effective public participation and engagement.
Due to this, NANGO calls on government to follow due process and respect administrative rights ahead of effecting any legal instrument that affects the day to day lives of Zimbabweans.
NANGO is the officially recognised coordinating body of NGOs operating in Zimbabwe. It is the largest umbrella body for non-governmental organisations and was established in 1962. It is a non-partisan, non-profit making and non-denominational coordinating body of NGOs in Zimbabwe. NANGO is mandated by its membership to coordinate the activities of NGOs, represent the NGO sector and strengthen the voice of NGOs in Zimbabwe.
24 Jul 2019
NANGO Board Chairperson, Ronika Mumbire, led a delegation that met the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Dr. J. P. Mangudya, on the 17th of July 2019. The objective of the engagement was to seek clarity on Statutory Instrument (SI) 142 of 2019 and the subsequent RBZ Directives. The engagement was a result of a membership meeting where NANGO members resolved to seek clarity and commitments from the Governor.
The Governor clarified the provisions of SI142/19 and assured NGOs that the Bank is implementing these reforms in view of creating a constructive environment for all sectors to thrive. This he said is envisaged to ultimately contribute to economic growth and development.
The Governor clarified that:
The Governor assured and committed to the following:
27 Jun 2019
The government of Zimbabwe and the European Union (EU) launched the Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Program Fund which is expected to boost the livestock sector, maximise smallholder farmers’ profits and improve competitiveness on domestic and international markets. The programme will be implemented by EU partners over a four-year period and is worth US$45 million.
The ZAGP program mainly targets small to large scale livestock producers, private sector integrators, processors, research organizations, farmers unions and financial service providers among others. ZAGP, which is covering all the country’s 10 provinces, will address the weaknesses and gaps in the livestock sector that have prevented the industry from growing.
Under ZAGP, there will be knowledge and innovation services delivered by agricultural education, extension and research in animal disease control and food safety, institutional reforms and policy alignment. The program is focusing on different value chains and projects within Zimbabwe namely; beef, poultry, dairy, pig and goats, focusing on productivity, production and incomes to their potential.
The EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Timo Olkkonen said that ZAGP is the main program in agricultural growth in Zimbabwe.
“There is need for political willingness to address structural bottlenecks such as security of tenure on land, which is crucial for domestic or foreign investment,” he said.
He expressed concern over the challenges in the livestock sector which he said were affecting production.
Ambassador Olkkonen said “The price of feedstock has increased to more than 50 percent in one year, which will have a terrible impact on the competitiveness of the feed intensive sectors like pig, poultry and dairy in comparison with other sub sectors; there are also regular outbreaks of animal diseases like new castle and foot and mouth diseases that are not contained by the surveillance and disease protection systems”.
The Ambassador also clarified that the ZAGP will reduce risk perception in the livestock sector and will encourage more investment which will improve productivity and competitiveness in the domestic and regional markets.
He called for more efficient ways to use resources and supply food for the population of Zimbabwe to ensure the country is self-sufficient in terms of food.
The Provincial Affairs Minister for Mashonaland West, Mliswa-Chikoka, who was standing in for the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, Perrance Shiri, said the nation’s agricultural growth program in is line with the Government of Zimbabwe’s commitment to transform agricultural systems, increase agricultural production, create greater access to markets and increase investments in livestock value chains.
“Zimbabwe has taken a deliberate policy to promote investment in the agricultural sector due to its importance to the economy. The livestock sector has the potential to increase the country’s contribution to food security and nutrition, foreign currency earnings as well as the creation of employment throughout the livestock related value chains,” she said.
Minister Mliswa-Chikoka encouraged all stakeholders to work together to make the programme successful by strengthening collaboration between the government and ZAGP so that the programme can effectively transform the livestock sector in Zimbabwe through increased and sustained agricultural production, productivity and competitiveness.
“Although the livestock sector continues to record steady growth, there are a number of challenges limiting its contribution to the national economy. These include access to finance and market, diseases leading to low productivity,” said the Minister.
NANGO officials that graced the event had an opportunity to tour different exhibition stands that reflected different value chains and projects within the agriculture sector namely; beef, poultry, dairy, pig and goats. Among the stands visited was the Inclusive Poultry Value Chain, a program awarded EUR 6 million towards improving the poultry value chain in Zimbabwe. The project is set to run for three years from February 2019 to January 2022 and is supported by Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture, Livestock and Meat Advisory Council, Sustainable Agriculture Trust and Welthungerhilfe.
The Beef Enterprise Strengthening and Transformation project is being implemented in five provinces of Zimbabwe. World Vision and Zimbabwe Agriculture Development Trust are some of the partners. The project seeks to create a competitive beef value chain that promotes enhanced trade, employment creation, food security and inclusive green economic growth by 2023.
Zimbabwe Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Services’s goal is to establish an integrated, dynamic, market oriented and farmer centric agricultural knowledge and innovation service system that meets the needs of modern agriculture in Zimbabwe. It promotes interconnectivity of agricultural education, research and extension ensuring relevant and up to date knowledge at all levels.
The veterinary services department provides extension and advisory services on good animal health care, hygiene and husbandry. It carries out surveillance, prevention, control and eradication of specified animal diseases and pests. It generates and provides new knowledge and technologies on pest control and animal health, production practices and decisions and provides information on the components, developments and impacts of the national livestock resource. The veterinary services department also provides regulatory services for the promotion of fair marketing, sanitary safety, quality and animal welfare and develop and implement livestock policies and strategies.
NANGO is monitoring the implementation of the National Indicative Program (NIP) where Agriculture is one of the three pillars of agriculture, health and governance and institution buidling under the program. The launch was attended by over 400 people including government officials, EU officials, representatives of various non-governmental organisations (NGOs), private sector and farming community.
Non-governmental organizations coordinated by NANGO, met to discuss the Monetary Policy Statement and its implications on civil society, formal and informal sector and citizens. With an appreciation of Reserve Bank Governor, Dr. John Mangudya’s intentions to stabilize the economy, create a conducive environment for both local and international investment, protect free funds and ensure that formal businesses can access foreign currency, NGOs noted that the statement comes short of addressing all the needs of the informal business sector, civil society and ordinary citizens. We, therefore, share the following concerns and recommendations;
