guest column Paul Kaseke

For some time now, Zimbabweans have not been able to renew their passports or obtain new ones due to what the Registrar-General’s office has termed ‘an acute shortage of passport paper’.

It almost seems like the RG’s office has become like the biblical Pharaoh, who would not let the Israelites leave Egypt.

In this edition, we explore the legal position on this matter and what the State’s obligations are in this respect.

I should start by pointing out that the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission has already described the situation as a violation of human rights and has promised to investigate the matter.

Many people are wondering why the commission would link the passport saga to a violation of human rights. Surely, the issuing of passports for people to travel is not a basic right and seems more like a luxury.

No, that is not so. Our Constitution adequately deals with this in quite a lot of detail.

The drafters of the Constitution inserted provisions that speak to these against the backdrop of unreasonable and excessive delays by the RG’s office to issue passports in the past.

Section 35 (3) (b) of the Constitution specifically states that Zimbabwean citizens have the right to passports and other travel documents.

A passport is, therefore, not a privilege bestowed on citizens by the State; it is a constitutional right that must be issued when requested.

I should highlight that this right is not like some rights that must be realised progressively within the available resources of the State. This right must, as a matter of urgency, be realised and it will not be a defence for the State to allege that it does not have the means to achieve the realisation of that right.

The government is, therefore, compelled by our Constitution to provide these documents on request. The State’s continued failure to provide these documents is a direct violation of the Constitution.

Additionally, s66(1) (c) of our Constitution, which houses the right to movement, further states that every citizen has the right to a passport or other travel documents. The duplication of the right shows just how important the drafters of the Constitution and the citizenry that voted for its enactment view the issuing of passports.

Again, there is no qualification of the right, which leads one to conclude that the State has an ongoing and urgent duty to ensure that citizens have passports when so requested.

Passports are documents that are essential in applications for permits in other countries since the permit is usually attached to the passport. Passports are generally seen as ‘official documents issued by a government, certifying the holder’s identity and citizenship and entitling them to travel under its protection to and from foreign countries’.

This, therefore, means that without such a passport, one is not able to leave the country and enter another country.

Section 66(2) (c) of our Constitution creates an additional right; the right to leave Zimbabwe.

This right is obviously frustrated by the failure of the State to issue passports on request. Collectively, the trinity of rights I have referred to above, which I have in other instances referred to as the ‘3 -fold Passport rights’, compel the State to issue passports without delay.

Interestingly, Treasury is busy with the purchasing of cars for ministers and MPs, so the question of resources does not arise. Government is failing to prioritise and chooses instead to commit itself to fruitless expenditure while ignoring constitutional obligations.

There is no constitutional obligation to provide cars for ministers and MPs, but there are three different obligations that oblige the State to provide passports and yet the government chooses to allocate funds to non-essential matters.

Apart from the three rights I have set out, the right of dignity, which is inherent in all people resident in Zimbabwe, is also violated by a continued failure to issue passports.

The sight of long winding queues and people who are failing to access health care outside the country is nothing short of inhumane. No country should ever have its people stranded domestically because they cannot access passports that might guarantee them a chance to access better healthcare, employment or education.

Many have resorted to sleeping at the Makombe Building and this demonstrates how the actions of the State continue to violate the dignity of people, contrary to s51 of the Constitution.

Lastly, s68 of the Constitution provides for the right to administrative justice.

This right bears specific importance whenever the State is involved in the provision of bureaucratic services such as the issuing of passports and ID documents. Section 68 states that ‘every person has a right to administrative conduct that is lawful, prompt, efficient, reasonable, proportionate, impartial and both substantively and procedurally fair’.

In Kenya, where a similar constitutional right exists, the courts have, in numerous cases, held that a delay of four months in issuing identity documents is a violation of the right to prompt and efficient administrative conduct.

I have no doubt that if (and when) brought before our courts and upon a proper interpretation of s68, the conduct of the RG’s office will be deemed unconstitutional for the same reasons.

Our Administrative Justice Act also requires government to ‘act within the relevant period specified by law or, if there is no such specified period, within a reasonable period after being requested to take the action by the person concerned’.

On all accounts, the State is failing to execute its legal obligations to issue passports in a timeous and reasonable manner.

Passports and ID documents are really basic documents and any functional State should be able to provide these. Zimbabwe cannot be open for business if we cannot get these basic rights. More importantly, government needs to learn to prioritise constitutional obligations before splurging on unnecessary and fruitless expenditure…just saying!

EDITORIAL COMMENT

WHATEVER happens to The Gems’ campaign for the Netball World Cup title is now immaterial because of the undying spirit they exhibited during their thrilling Group A match against Northern Ireland on Sunday.

It’s a spirit that they have shown through out the tournament, that they play with pride for their country and that they do not give up. This is only their first time at the World Cup, but one wouldn’t know it.

The match was so captivating that even if our ladies are eliminated in the next round — which, of course, we are not hoping for — they have already done us enough proud by giving out their utmost best. Their performance was world-class and proved why they reached the World Cup tournament in the first place. From their Sunday performance, they are on track to go far at this tournament and we urge all our brothers and sisters domiciled in the United Kingdom to keep piling the resounding support they have been giving to our ladies.

One of the pundits described the game as the best of the entire World Cup by far. Such was the intensity of the game.

Reporting on the match, one media house described the atmosphere at the match as “spine-tingling”, and we believe the venue of The Gems’ next match will be jam-packed and millions across the world will be glued to their television screens.

The Gems have won two out of four matches against some of the world’s best, which is the spirit we urge to possess all our national teams each time they travel for international games. The ladies’ performance is quite refreshing, especially following the atrocious showing by the men’s national soccer team, the Warriors, at the African Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt.

We recall that when The Gems left for Liverpool, England, they told us: “We have a lot to prove. We want to prove that we can actually do better than the males. We have qualified to the World Cup and no team in Zimbabwe has done this. We want to prove to Zimbabwe that we are the best and the women can go far. We just want to go and play our hearts out, no matter the challenges and even with no allowances. We want to make history, play and brand Zimbabwe.”

And, indeed, they are already making history. We urge them to remain calm, focused and determined to achieve their goal.

At this stage of the competition, it is easy for them to be too excited and when too excited, it is very possible for them to make poor judgmental mistakes. They just need to stay composed, and playing with the determination of champions.

We are behind them all the way.

Yes, the men’s team was a disgrace to the nation and their behaviour extortionate. They must repent.

guest column Learnmore Zuze

IF truth be said, there is no political leader who takes comfort in realising that the people they lead are scrounging for survival.

Currently, it is easier to hail accusations of mismanagement and self-enrichment against the government at large, but it must be factually borne in mind that even the most corrupt and callous of leaders do not take joy in the suffering of the masses.

Former Libyan dictator and authoritarian Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, for all his reputation for heartlessness, ensured that economically, Libya was a distance ahead of most countries.

The same is true for most countries that may be branded autocratic; there remains that sense of realisation that the
citizenry ought to afford the basics and necessities of life.

Even at a time when all else was crumbling before ex-President Robert Mugabe, as he waged a verbal joust against
President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair early in 2000, the geriatric tried to come up with incentives, freedom trains and the infamous scheme, Basic Commodities Supply Side Intervention.

It was upon this realisation by the Mugabe regime that its people needed to live, that the programme was introduced. I will repeat that it would be a lie of elephantine proportions that the present government is having a field day while fuel prices go up almost fortnightly. It would be untrue that all is well within the corridors of power when the government worker is earning a paltry salary incapable of sustaining a family of three.

Further, it cannot be accurate to say the government rejoices over the prices of basic goods which have now gone haywire.

I have to repeat the need for objectivity in this matter and avoid being a critic for the sake of the word. No
government, no matter how irresponsible, takes joy at the pains suffered by citizens. Against this background it must,
therefore, be acknowledged that the incumbent government intends to mend the economy, but they desperately lack the
critically-needed knowledge to shift the economic fortunes.

It’s correct to say they wholly desire to lower inflation and halt the immense hardship visited upon the people, but they lack the requisite knowledge. This relates specifically to the economy and probably it could be easier to forgive a person who desires something, but lacks the knowledge.

The scorching question which is the focal point of this piece has nothing to do with the economy, but everything to do with human rights. While it can be understood that there are many factors that govern the economy, the same cannot be said towards the upholding of human rights.

It does not take ingenuity to ensure that the freedoms of citizens are protected by a government. There is no expenditure
incurred in upholding the rule of law; the very thing that would boast confidence in investors. It is quite disquieting that the current government seems to be falling way below the radar on both the economy and human rights scale.

The mere upholding of human rights could, at least, convince people on the commitment of the present government.

Surely, the handling of the Job Sikhala case, which had the world’s eyes fastened on it, does very little to prove that this era is any different from the previous one. Sikhala becomes the 21st person to be charged with treason, this year alone.

Reports of torture of suspects in this day and age are quite a blow on human rights efforts. Sikhala’s lawyers allege the
Zengeza West MP was tortured and blindfolded, right through the Bikita journey.

It is further reported that Sikhala’s lawyers were locked outside and at first not allowed to talk to their client.

Facts presented indicate the suspect was denied food and medication.

Surely, this is where the plot is being lost. The very economy the government wishes to mend and the massively required investor confidence stems from nowhere, but the upholding of constitutional provisions.

Where the Constitution evinces the need for the rights of suspects and prisoners to be observed, the opposite happens. Is it any wonder that America, to date, has called for the arrest of the killer soldiers of August 1?

Without these critical reforms, it’s an outright lie that an iota of economic improvement can be witnessed in the country.

Outside the Sikhala saga, it is reported by the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) that the Zanu PF leadership and traditional leaders are marginalising rural dwellers in dire need of food aid by distributing handouts along partisan lines.

The ZPP notes that even under this new government, there are countless cases where destitute and marginalised citizens are being unlawfully denied social welfare assistance because of their political affiliation, in clear contravention of section 77(b) of the Constitution Amendment (No 20), which states that every person has the right to sufficient food, with the State having the responsibility of ensuring that reasonable legislative measures are taken to realise this right.

Even the resurrection of the draconian Public Order and Security Act (POSA) under the guise of Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill (MOPA) to quell public demonstrations and crush dissent does very little to inspire the confidence terribly needed for Zimbabwe.

As long as there is a dearth of knowledge regarding the link between the economy and an acceptable human rights record, then the country hasn’t even started on the path to recovery.

If the economy is proving too difficult to handle, at least be seen to be upholding the rule of law. It would appear Zimbabwe has some time before a new day arrives.

BY CALVIN MAHACHI

MISS Teen Zimbabwe Wadzanai Muzvongi (pictured) was adjudged the first princess during this year’s edition of the Miss Teen Continentals pageant finals held in Las Vegas, the United States, on Thursday last week after giving a good account of herself on the ramp.

Muzvongi, who is a spoken word artist, was beaten to the crown by South African teenage beauty Chace Collett, who was crowned the new Miss Teen Continentals.

The 19-year-old Zimbabwean model said although she missed the crown, she was happy that she had represented her country well, as she outclassed several other contestants from other countries, including Canada and the US.

She expressed gratitude to Miss Teen Zimbabwe organisers and other stakeholders who afforded her the opportunity to represent the country at the global catwalk.

“I am so honoured to have gotten the opportunity to represent my country at the Miss Teen Continentals pageant. I am so happy I was able to fly Zimbabwe’s flag high,” she said.

“I owe so many thanks to many people because it really took a village to get me to where I am today. Thanks to all my sponsors that willingly gave me everything at a time when I had nothing.”
Muzvongi said her family as well as her coach, Emily Kachote, also made significant sacrifices for her to reach the
finals.

“Thank you to my family because they really sacrificed a lot to get me to where I am and also the Miss Teen Zimbabwe Pageant and definitely my director and coach Emily Kachote for training and teaching me everything I know about modelling,” she said.

Miss Teen Zimbabwe administrator Clara Matenga told NewsDay Life & Style that they were over the moon following
Muzvongi’s successful representation of the country at the beauty contest.

“We are excited with Wadzanai’s victory. It shows that as Miss Teen Zimbabwe, we have all that it takes to groom and
train top-notch models that meet world standards,” she said.

Matenga said they were now looking forward to training and grooming more young models across the country.

guest column Emmanuel Zvada

Job-hunting has radically changed. The advent of computer technology has paved way for one to apply for job positions via sites like the Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter, just to name a few.

Nowadays, job seekers use computers to reach out to relatives, former friends and classmates, including colleagues and fellow schoolmates.

Social media is a very useful tool to discover available positions, by establishing relationships with contacts who can give recommendations even on social media. The internet is a gold mine for those hunting for jobs, but you have to know how to use it.

It is a known fact that one of the most challenging tasks in one’s professional life is getting a new job.

The internet has a lot of job-posting websites where you can search and even apply to different companies easily, but you might also consider broadening your search to Facebook, Linkedin and other social medial platforms.

There are so many people competing for a limited number of positions that it seems impossible for an average person to get one if they do not have job hunting skills. If you go on google, jobs are offered almost everywhere. But despite the overwhelming number of available jobs, it is difficult to land one.

The way people look for jobs has rapidly evolved over the last few years.

The days of perusing through the “jobs available” advertisements of local newspapers are things of the past as many are now utilising social media jobs platforms.

The best thing about these jobs portals is that you can filter or search in a specific industry, or a specific position in every industry.

The success of using social media in job hunting is in networking. The more friends you have, the higher the tendency to meet friends of your friends, thus increasing chances of finding good contacts.

Whether you are a recent college graduate looking for your first job or a seasoned professional looking for a new opportunity, social media is incredibly useful for job hunters. Below are tips and tricks to enhance your job search via social networking sites:

What you are supposed to do

Eliminate all unprofessional posts and pictures

Even if you don’t want to leverage social media to help your job search, make sure your online profiles are not hindering your chances of getting employed.

Before you apply for any job, take a look at all of your online photos and posts and ask yourself if this is honestly something you’d want a potential employer to see.

It should also be known that the first thing an employer does when he sees your name as a potential employee is to check applicants’ social media profiles.

It will be a good advice if you delete, hide, untag, or make private anything that could be considered offensive or controversial so that you won’t ruin your employment opportunities.

Update your profile photo

Make your profile look like how recruiters would want it to look. Use a professional profile photo and cover photo as you want to look professional and experienced.

Post a recent, decent, and suitable photo for the position.

Never post vulgar pictures, as it is easy for people to grab them onsite.

More so, you must include your location on your profile, because many recruiters use it to search for any information they might want.

Carefully craft your brand statement if possible to capture your work ethics, character, special skills, depth of experience, and exceptional strengths.

List both professional and volunteer experiences if any, but put of a professional nature first.

More than half of hiring managers will look at an applicant’s social media profiles, so be very aware of the pictures you post.

List your top skills and qualifications.

Write all your qualifications, including all awards received and positions held.

If you are on Linkedin, don’t just list your education qualifications, but focus on your top skills that you want endorsed and ask former employers or professors to endorse that specific skill, but keep in mind that not all recruiters look at this section.

If you are job searching, let Linkedin know by turning-on “open candidates” from your preferences and recruiters will know you are quietly looking for a job.

All of your social media accounts that you plan to job-search on need to be private and professional. You need to keep it professional online because you never know who is watching and you never know how people may seriously consider your posts.

Build professional networks

Just as businesses are using social media to promote their brand and engage with prospects, you should use social media to promote your personal brand and form connections.

Your connections can exponentially increase your exposure and access to other connections.

Linkedin makes it easy to connect with people you know by importing your contact lists from sites such as gmail.

Engage with professionals not just on Linkedin, but on other platforms as well.

Talk on Twitter with influencers in your field; become an active voice on professional forums and Facebook groups. Connect with other professionals, spend time improving your profiles, and make sure your accounts always have your most recent contacts and professional information.

Proofread your entries before posting.

Make sure there are no errors in grammar or spelling. Show that you have good communication skills.

Post only positive comments.

Proofreading can play a vital part in any organisation, no matter its size; whether you work for yourself or for a company, protecting the brand is definitely important.

Misspelled words, poor grammar and inconsistent information, among a host of other things, can all have a negative effect on the brand and the company.

Maintain a solid online presence

It is important to keep your social media accounts updated, polished and professional. In other words, you are better off remaining online all the time by posting anything related to your profession than taking much without being noticed online.

Apart from that, you also have to make sure that you can be reached and the only way employers can reach you is if your number contact number is included on your profile.

Do not assume they will want to contact you online; make it easy for prospective employers contact you the way they want.

Provide your land-line and cell phone numbers, including your email address so that in case prospective employers want to get in touch with you, they can do so at any given time.

What you must not do

Mixing professional and personal online accounts

One downside of using social networking sites is when you fail to separate your personal and professional accounts.

This is very dangerous because your potential recruiters will be able to read private conversations or unflattering comments of friends who are just trying to be funny.

I would advise that you use Linkedin for your professional site as it is targeted specifically for professional purposes, especially job hunting. Facebook is currently the king of the social networking sites and you will do best to use this for your personal networking activities, mainly because you are likely to meet more friends there.

Do not discuss politics and other controversial topics.

Avoid showing your position on sensitive issues.

Politics is probably a more volatile topic than any other.

Politics always begins arguments; even if you and the person you are speaking with have similar views. Not everyone has the same opinion, and this goes for many different topics. So, it is not encouraged that we post our political sentiments online.

Lastly, keep in mind that when utilised correctly, social media can be your secret weapon in the job search. It may open doors, but in the end you still have to prove yourself because recruiters will judge you during your face-to-face interview.

BY FREEMAN MAKOPA

RENOWNED film writer and producer of the popular Gringo cartoon and television character, Enock Chihombori, yesterday said he was frustrated by the lack of funding which he said was the cancer eating away the industry.

The Botswana-based Chihombori, told NewsDay Life & Style that the absence of funding needed to be addressed to resuscitate the industry.

“I think the first thing that needs to happen is to identify real and serious professionals in the industry and somehow have funds injected to create tangible projects, which can compete internationally in terms of quality and substance,” he said.

He said Zimbabwe had huge potential in light of past successful projects, including Neria, More Time and Yellow Card.

He said producers were working under very difficult circumstances so they could not be blamed for many of the substandard
projects.

“Blame cannot be put on practitioners who are deemed to be producing substandard work because they are possibly doing the
best they can under the worst of conditions,” he said.

“In hard times, films are easily catagorised as unnecessary luxury commodities and hence the numbers willing to spend
their hard-earned money on films dwindle.”

Chihombori said there was also need to revamp the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation so that more focus is placed on
quality local content.

“I don’t know much about the current programming schedules or the quality of local dramas being produced, but I know
Zimbabweans never used to rely on outside products to replace local content as feature attractions on prime-time
television. Our local broadcaster needs to invest more on quality local content, with no overdose of programmes with
obvious political connotations and undertones,” he said.

The award-winning creative, who is currently working at a mine in Botswana, said the lack of independent broadcasters has
greatly affected the film industry as there was lack of competition.

BY TAFADZWA KACHIKO

BINDURA University of Science Education (BUSE) ended Midlands State University’s dominance in the Enactus national competitions on Friday.

Enactus BUSE, which presented a project titled Agriplus during competitions held at Celebration Centre in Harare, walked away with ZWL$2 500 sponsored by Delta Corporations Limited and is set to represent Zimbabwe at the World Cup penciled
for Silicon Valley in the United States, from September 16 to 18.

The winning team’s president, Alvin Munzara, told NewsDay Life & Style that he was “too excited” by the development.

“It’s something that we have been longing for. We worked very hard for it. We went an extra mile,” he said.

Team adviser Dorothy Murasi, who won the Faculty Adviser of the Year Award, said the victory was a testimony and she was grateful for the financial support they received from the university’s alumni.

“I am so excited. I am so grateful for the financial support that came from our alumni and our institution because things were tough,” she said.

UZ president Brian Samanyanga, however, felt his team should have been crowned the champions, arguing that their projects
were “original” and expressed “innovativeness.”

Enactus Zimbabwe president Cleopatra Makoni described every team as winners.

“This is a beautiful day that we celebrate the hard work and achievements of the teams. The 25-minute presentations were
just an eclipse of what happened during the whole year. As much as we have one winner, we are all winners. We win in
changing lives,” she said.

MSU came third, with the Women’s University in Africa emerging fourth.

MSU was awarded ZWL$1 000 while newcomers Lupane State University got the Team Spirit Award.