TRACING BACK MY ROOTS

Chapter One 1973 What a beautiful year, what a blessed year, a year of interesting political, economic and social events to reckon. The Cold War which has started in 1947 was still ongoing in 1973.According to the Wikipedia "The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union with its satellites states, and the United States with its allies after World War II. The history of the conflict began between 1946 and 1947.The Cold War began to de-escalate after the Revolution of 1989" The major events of the Cold War was the Berlin Blockade, Sino-Soviet Split, and the Berlin crisis of 1961.So in short, the Cold War was a major event of 1973. The Space Race was a major event of 1973 because it was still ongoing. The Space race began in 1957 and ended in 1975.This race was considered important because it showed the world which country had the best science, technology, and economic system. After World War II both the United States and Soviet Union realized how important rocket research would be to the military www.dusksters.com .The United States won the space race by landing its astronauts on the moon in 1975.So the space race was another key event of 1973. Another Key 1973 event was the Vietnam War. This war started in the 1950s and was more on French colonial period of the 1800s(wikipedia).This war was later joined by the USA and ended in 1973.The reader can see how the year 1973 is famous. Other 1973 events include the Detente(1969-1979),the Watergate scandal (1972-1974), 1973 oil crisis(1973-1974),the energy crisis (1973-1980). We then come to one of the major 1973 world event, the death of Mutero Chikuvadze also known as Mugwaza or Chakarara. Some say he died in 1974 some say he died 1973.This man was the son of Chikuvadze of VaHara clan.He was married to Magagula or VaManyada of the Sibanda clan from Mutandi family. I am not sure where this man was born but it must be Lalapansi Zimbabwe. He later migrated to a place which is around Kwekwe,Mhondoro,Chirumhanzu and Mvuma which was later named Rhodesdale. He had ten children, seven boys and three girls with his wife Magagula. Mutero and other people who were staying in Rhodesdale were forced by the white colonial government around 1952 and 1953 to move to Gokwe under Chief Mukako and settled at Gadza Village. So in 1973 this great man fell sick. The author is not sure whether Mutero was ever sent to hospital or is so sure what sort of illness he was suffering from but oral history say he had the same signs showing on HIV and AIDS patients. Take note, there was no AIDS by 1973.And so the great man breathed his last and was buried at Gadza Village ,Chief Mukoka Gokwe. My father who was the 9th child of Mutero and Magagula was born in 1946/7 there. He was tall and light in complexion. He stammered a little in most cases when he got angry. He met young girl who was staying with his uncle Taruvinga of the Murehwa clan kwaNgarani Village.Edinah was the second born of Amon Mirai Shavi and Janifer Shavi of Goto Village Sanyati Arda Turn Off. The two met in 1972 and in September 1973 the author of this book was born. I don't remember much the events that took place while we were still staying in Kana because I was still young. I was born in 1973 and later migrated to Ndabambi under chief Njelele in 1973.However, I still remember that we had a thatched round hut and a two room thatched four corner mud and pole bedroom. I don't remember us having a bed there. There was a shrub of a mango tree in the yard. I don't remember us having many visitors but we had a frequent visitor especially during weekends and when it was time for sporting shows at Gadza Primary School Mainini Sarudzai was my friend. Mainini Sarudzai was daughter to my mother’s brother from Ngarani Village.She used to bring Sugarcane (nzimbe) and a few coins to buy (pain-coolers) a drink sold in a plastic paper for me. I also remember that one day we went to the fields with my father with our oxen. I was leading the oxen while my father was behind the oxen with a plough (I don’t know how I did it because I was 4 or 5 years old) then suddenly we heard the sound of continuous loud gunshots coming from the side of Kana river. We lied with our stomach on the ground but the sound didn't stop. My father unyoked the oxen and we rushed home. It was quite frightening and I later learnt that I was born at the height of the Zimbabwe’s independence war. I can’t remember the birth of Xmas the one who comes after me born in 1975 in December on the Xmas Day but I remember vividly the birth of Phylis the third born who was born on the 28th of January 1978.When my mother felt the labour pains (it was during the day not at night) my cousin sister Christine and I were sent to go and call VaManyada/Magagula to come to do the midwifery duties. We found her drinking a home prepared beer commonly known as '7 days' or 'doro rematanda' in my Shona language. Yes, we found her and she quickly rushed home (though she was already drunk) and Phylis was delivered a healthy baby. There was much rejoicing in the family to receive the first baby girl. My father wanted to give a present to my mother for a job well done but he had nothing to give her. He had no goat to slaughter for my mother. However, my father was a hunter. He used to make some snares(zvidzingi) to trap wild animals. On the 29th of January 1978 we woke up and I accompanied my father to the fields to go and check on his snares. Coincidentally we found an animal brown in colour already dead on the snare. We untied the animal and my father carried the animal which was the size of a goat and we hastily went home happy people. There was double rejoicing at home, celebrating for our new baby and newly found game meat. I was happy. I knew no other world besides our small family of five people, our fields, Mbuya Manyada and Mainini Saru Taruvinga. Suddenly around August 1978 I saw my mother and father removing our few belongings from the mud thatched huts into a lorry, Thames to be precise, which was packed a distant from our yard. It was not our family alone which was moving items but all my father’s six brothers’ families were moving, loading their belongings into two or three lorries. I was worried. I had a lot of questions in my head. What is happening? Where are we going? I asked my mother what was happening and she said "Tave kutama" we are migrating. It was not a happy moment for everyone. Everything was being done hastily talking with hashed voices. My father had two sisters married in the same village with us, these aunties came to bid us farewell but they looked sorrowful. My young untie Tete Mai Feruna actually was crying as she helped us load our goods into the lorry. There we go, the lorry departed from Gadza Village in the meandering sandy Gokwe road towards Gokwe Centre. Check this space for Chapter Two Titled the Migration Etiwel Mutero is an archivist,records manager,political analyst and an author +264817871070 etiwelm02@gmail.com

DISASTER & RISK MANAGEMENT FOR RECORDS & LIBRARIES WORKSHOP

This is an invitation to everyone to come and attend a DISASTER & RISK MANAGEMENT FOR RECORDS & LIBRARIES WORKSHOP The workshop is Guaranteed to make you get prepared against disasters and emergencies that may affect your organization including your records and libraries.This workshop is organized by RAIMSOSA CONSULTANCY AND MARKETING CC, a consultancy registered in Namibia. VANUES: Esikhoveni Training Centre Esigodhini(Bulawayo-Gwanda Rd)Zimbabwe DATES: 1-4 April 2018 WORKSHOP FEES –US$200 (includes teas only) ENROLL TODAY Hurry, our seats fill fast. Participants who will pay their workshop fees by the 15th of March 2018 will get a FREE T-Shirt. ALL OF OUR SEMINARS ARE 100% SATISFACTORY GUARANTEED!! We are confident this seminar will help you protect your employees, organizational assets, records, archives and libraries against emergencies and disasters. WHO SHOULD ATTEND? This program was designed to benefit ALL employees including middle and senior managers in public and private sector organizations who have a duty to protect organizational assets including human capital against injury or destruction of property including organizational records and libraries. This includes CEOs, Disaster and Risk Managers, Accountants, HR Personnel, Registry Personnel, Archivists, Librarians, Records Managers, Records Assistants, Registry Clerks, Personal Assistants, Control Administrative Officers, Fire and Rescuer Personnel DON’T WASTE TIME REGISTER TODAY Pay by ecocash to +263784884761 or DEPOSIT OR TRANSFER YOUR MONEY TO THE FOLLOWING FNB BANK NAMIBIA 62261768728 ACCOUNT NAME RAIMSOSA CONSULTANCY AND MARKETING CC, OUTAPI BRANCH.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION INCLUDING FOOD AND ACCOMMODATION CONTACT THE WORKSHOP ORGANIZER: Phone or Whatsapp 00264817871070,or Phone+263784884761 Email: raimsosa@gmail.com

OUR HOPE IS ON MNANGAGWA

Our hope is on Mnangagwa by Etiwel Mutero 22 hrs ago | 1626 Views I remember it was in 2013 in Bulawayo in Cowdray Part Surbub at Mukitika Primary School on a Sunday. The COPAC had announced that they will hold a public hearing on the proposed Zimbabwe Constitution. Although the meeting was supposed to be attended by Cowdray Park residence ZANU PF bussed people from nearby plots and farms with an obvious aim to disrupt the hearings. Thanks for the Honourable legislators who were chairing the meeting progressed without any incidence. After the meeting had been officially opened deliberations started. We first discussed the Bill of Rights. There was a rare unity between ZANU PF and MDC supporters on the Bill of Rights. All people present unanimously agreed that every Zimbabwean must have a right to life. We agreed that no one must be allowed to take away someone's life for whatever reasons. Christians contended that nobody have a right to take anybody's life except God the life giver. MDC ZANU PF Christians we unanimously agreed on that. We then moved to the issue of the death penalty or death sentence whether it must be maintained in the constitution or total be removed. There was a contestation of ideas here. It seemed the majority wanted the death sentence to be maintained. Suddenly people changed. It looks like they had completely forgotten what we had agreed under the Bill of Rights. Speaker after speaker stood up to support the idea of maintaining the death sentence in the constitution. I was given a chance to speak. I advocated for the removal of the death sentence reminding the gathering what we had just agreed under the Bill of Right. Unfortunately I was in the minority. When the issue was finally put to vote we lost. People wanted the death sentence to be retained in the New Constitution of Zimbabwe. It was sad. The death sentence had always a controversial topic. Some people are in support of it some are against it.However, it must be noted that people are being killed throughout the world almost every day, a number are still on death row. Some people are being killed for trivial crimes like "who you sleep with, in others it is reserved for acts of terror and murder." (Amnesty International) The author is of the view that Zimbabweans made a great mistake in retaining the death sentence in the new constitution which we voted for in 2013.The author advocate for the total removal of the death sentence from our constitution and laws. According to Amnesty International the death penalty is unfair because before anyone is executed he or she is made to wait for years on the death row. Certain Japanese man was made to wait for 46 years not knowing when his time was to come. In Zimbabwe we have people who are still on the death raw for more than 10 years now. It's unfair. The death penalty is also cruel, inhuman and degrading. According to Salil Shelty "The death penalty is a symptom of a culture of violence, not a solution to it." Execution methods includes beheading, electrocution, hanging, lethal injection, shooting in the back of the head or shooting by a firing squad. It's so chilling, ruthless, cruel and violent. The other issue is humans can make errors and judges are not an exception. Let's say someone is erroneously charged and erroneously convicted and sentenced to death and then killed immediately. If at a later stage it is found out that the person was erroneously convicted, it is not possible to reverse the killing of an innocent person. I had also pointed it out in one of my recent articles that long jail sentences do not deter crime. The idea that long jail terms deter crime hasn't been proven anywhere this includes the death sentence, it doesn't deter crime in any way. Life sentences are rather better than the death sentence in serious crimes. The death penalty is also discriminatory. The Amnesty International says it is the poor belonging to a "wrong "race, ethnic group, religious minority group, or political party that end up facing the gallows. In Zimbabwe the discrimination is quite glare, it is men only who can be given the death sentence women are spared. We were not told the reasons for this discriminatory nature of sentencing. We all know that 52% of Zimbabwean population are women then why kill the few and spare the majority. Is there any motive to extinguish men in Zimbabwe? The death penalty breaches two essential human rights: the right to life and right to live a life free from torture. Both rights are protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948, according to Amnesty International. Zimbabwe is a member of United Nations, why are we then killing people violating their rights? Since 1948 the momentum to ban the death sentence globally is growing. As of 2016 104 countries had totally banned the death penalty including the majority of countries in Southern Africa but Zimbabwe still maintains the death penalty in its laws. Vice President Mnangagwa who is also the Minister of Justice has been quoted on numerous occasions in the media as saying he is opposed to the death penalty. Recently he crafted the first constitutional amendment which was adopted by parliament. We hope that he will do the honourable thing and craft the second constitutional amendment and remove totally the death sentence from our constitution. I also hope that legislators from ZANU and MDC will unanimously vote and approve the second constitutional amendment to remove the death sentence from the Zimbabwean Constitution. Etiwel Mutero is an archivist and political commentator.You can contact him on etiwelm02@gmail.com

RAMSAZ: SETTING UP A NEW RECORDS OFFICE, RECORDS CENTRE AN...

RAMSAZ: SETTING UP A NEW RECORDS OFFICE, RECORDS CENTRE AN...:                                    RECORDS & ARCHIVES MANAGEMENT    SOCIETY OF ZIMBABWE  ...

Etiwel Mutero works for the National University of Science and Technology,he holds a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Records and Archives Management through the Zimbabwe Open University and a National Certificate in Records and Archives Management from Kwekwe Polytechnic.You can contact him on 0773614293 or etiwelm02@gmail.com

ETIWEL MUTERO'S CV

             CURRICULUM VITAE

                                                ETIWEL MUTERO

PERSONAL INFORMATION

NAME                                              : ETIWEL MUTERO

SEX                                                   : MALE

DATE OF BIRTH                              : 21ST OF SEPTEMBER 1973

PLACE OF BIRTH                             : GOKWE-ZIMBABWE

ID                                                       : 24-096672-J-26

ADDRESS  : ERF719 AUGASTINO NETO ST.OUTAPI NAMIBIA

CONTACT PHONE                              : 00264817871070

EMAIL                                                                                            :  etiwelm02@gmail.com   

BLOG                                                                                              : archivesessays.blogspot.com

MARITAL STATUS                                                                         : MARRIED

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Dedicated and focused INFORMATION MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL who excels at prioritizing, completing multiple tasks simultaneously and following through to achieve project goals, seeking a role of increased responsibility and authority. HIGHLIGHTS-Microsoft Office proficiency, Meticulous attention to detail, Results-oriented, Self-directed, Time management, Professional and mature, Strong problem solver, Self-starter, Report writing, Meeting planning, Mail management, File Management, Labor relations, Human Resources Management (HRM),Strong interpersonal skills etc.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

MASTER OF INFORMATION SCIENCE IN ARCHIVAL SCIENCE 2017-UNISA (CANDIDATE)

B. SC. HONOURS DEGREE IN RECORDS AND ARCHIVES MANAGEMENT- ZOU - 2010-2014

CORE MODULES

v  RECORDS MANAGEMENT: PRINCIPLES, THEORIES AND CONCERPTS

v  ARCHIVES MANAGEMENT, BASIC CONCERPTS AND FUNCTIONS

v  ARCHIVAL ADMINISTRATION: MANAGEMENT OF ARCHIVAL INSTITUTIONS

v  PRESERVATION OF ARCHIVAL MATERIAL

v  RECORDS APPRAISAL SYSTEMS

v  MANAGING AUDIOVISUAL ARCHIVES

v  MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

v  DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING

NATIONAL CERTIFICATE IN RECORDS MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION SCIENCE- KWEKWE POLYTECHNIC- 2007

ORDINARY LEVEL-SANYATI GORVENMENT HIGH SCHOOL-1992

SUBJECT                                                                                                  GRADE

v  AGRICULTURE                                                                                  A

v  SHONA                                                                                                A

v  PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTS                                                           A

v  SCIENCE                                                                                              B

v  RELIGIOUS STUDIES                                                                        B

v  ENGLISH LANGUAGE                                                                      C

WORK HISTORY

DIRECTORATE OF EDUCATION-OMUSATI REGION-NAMIBIA

POSITION-SENIOR ARCHIVIST

PERIOD: 2016-

DUTIES

v  Inspect records in government offices in the region (O/M/A)

v  Advise O/M/A about records management

v  Manage the regional records centre

v  Liaise with government  O/M/As about transfer of semi-current records

v  Maintain database of deposited records

v  Supervise archives assistant/s

v  Liaise with National Archives for coordinated efforts of the region’s records management issues.

v  Liaise with National Archives with regard to filing systems for approval and implementation.

 RECORDS AND ARCHIVES MANAGEMENT SOCIETY OF ZIMBABWE [RAMSOZ] 2011-2016

The aim of RAMSOZ is to promote the proper care of records and archives through workshops and seminars for both the public and private sector organizations.

POSITION AT RAMSOZ-PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER

DUTIES:-

v  WRITING WORKSHOP COURSE CONTENT

v  SOURCING FACILITATORS

v  BOOKING WORKSHOP VANUES

v  RECEIPTING WORKSHOP FEES

v  PAYMENT OF WORKSHOP EXPENSES

v   WORKSHOP FACILITATOR

RAMSOZ through Etiwel Mutero had organized over thirteen (15) RECORDS AND LIBRARY MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS since December 2011.Other Partners at RAMSOZ are Mr T. Dube [Records Management Lecturer at Bulawayo Poly] 00263772779809

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2010-2015

POSITION: LIBRARY TECHNICAL ASSISTANT

DUTIES:-BOOK CIRCULATION

v  BOOK SHELVING

v  BOOK SPINE MARKING

v  BOOK BINDING

v  MANNING THE STUDENT INTERNET CAFÉ

v  PROCESSING NEW BOOKS

ZIMBABWE POSTS HEADQUATERS -HARARE-2009-2010

JOB TITLE-REGISTRY CLERK

DUTIES:  

v  MANAGING OUTGOING MAIL

v  MANAGING INCOMING MAIL

v  CREATING NEW FILES

v  CODING & CLASSIFICATION OF FILES

v  MANAGING THE FILE BRING-UP SYSTEM

v  MANAGING SEMI-CURRENT FILES

v  RECORDS APPRAISAL AND DISPOSAL

v  SUPERVISING MESSANGERS

KWEKWE POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE-2006-2009

JOB TITLE-LIBRARY ASSISTANT

DUTIES

v  BOOK CIRCULATION

v  BOOK SHELVING

v  BOOK SPINE MARKING

v  BOOK BINDING

v  MANNING THE STUDENT INTERNET CAFÉ

v  PROCESSING NEW BOOKS

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ZIMBABWE 2003-2006

JOB TITLES: UNTRAINED TEACHER & OFFICE ASSISTANT

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

Author

I published an E-Book titled “College & University Essays in Records & Library Management”. The book was published through booktango.com and marketed on googlebooks.com, bookcountry.com, amazon.com etc

FREELANCE WRITING

I believe I am a freelance writer because a number of my articles have been published by online newspapers such as bulawayo24.com, harare24.com, nehandaradio.com, zimbabwemail.com and PRINT newspapers such as the Southerneye operating from Bulawayo ZIMBABWE.

REFERENCES

1.      FLORENCE MASOCHA

PHONE  +263772712198

2.      NETSAI MHANDA

PHONE  +263771131557

3.      MR EVARISTO MODESTUS

+264817282777

  

Authenticating Electronic Records Based Evidence in Zimbabwean Labour Disputes

Today computers provide us with powerful tools for information handling, retrieval and distribution. Computers have contributed to the efficiency and effectiveness of organizations through the use of new communication channels such as social networks, emails, blogging and chartrooms for example. However, the internet had brought new set of challenges at the workplace such as the advent of cyber-crimes or misconducts which were unknown prior to the 1960s when the internet was introduced. In this paper the author will discuss some of the challenges in the admissibility of electronic/digital evidence in relation to labour related disputes in Zimbabwe.

According to Prince Edward Island Canada-Department of Environment, Labour and Justice an electronic record is defined as data that is recorded or stored on any medium in or by a computer system or other similar device that can be read or perceived by a person or a computer system or similar device. It is information captured through electronic means, and which may or may not have a paper record to back it up. It is also called a machine readable record.

The internet is a good asset to an organization if rightly used by employees; however it can turn to a liability particularly when it comes to employee misconducts. Some employee internet related misconducts may include copyright infringement, stalking, pornography, harassment, defamation, misuse of the company name over the internet for personal gain etcetera.

It has been always a challenge to employers or organizations to authenticate the internet based evidence to support the alleged findings that the electronic record used as evidence against an employee is what the organization claims it to be. Electronic records based evidence is open to challenge in courts because electronic data is easily edited modified and therefore electronic evidence can therefore be unreliable and fraudulently altered or misrepresented.

The other challenge which may be faced by Zimbabwean organizations in disciplining employees over internet related misconducts is that the majority of organizations do not have what is called the internet policies. An internet policy provides employees with rules and guidelines about the appropriate use of company equipment, network and internet access. This policy is a must for almost every organization. The organization internet policy must be incorporated into the organization’s code of conduct. Without the internet policy it may prove difficult to lay charges on an employee over internet related misconducts.

The other challenge is that the Zimbabwean labour laws are silent when it comes to internet related workplace misconducts; this includes the labour act and the Statutory Instrument 15 of 2006.  Mrs Revai Sweto-Mukuruba in her paper “Sadc Harmonised Legal Cyber Security Framework for Southern Africa” bemoaned the fact that the Criminal Law (codification Act) was not addressing holistically computer related crimes in Zimbabwe necessitating the tabling of a new Cyber Crime Bill before parliament during the current parliament session.

Though Mrs Revai Sweto-Mukumba says there isn’t any significant cyber- crime cases brought before the Higher Courts in Zimbabwe the author noted a case between Attorney General vs Bennet which was heard in the Supreme Court as of paramount importance in this discourse. The Supreme Court reaffirmed the high court ruling which said: “As previously stated in my earlier ruling, the court’s admission of the e-mails was conditional upon the sate being able to prove that the questioned e-mails are genuine and authentic. The state’s failure to prove the authenticity of the e-mails automatically renders the emails inadmissible.” Due to the fact that the Attorney General failed to prove the authenticity of the e-mails he had presented as evidence before the court Bennet was acquitted.

In other countries the courts have set up rules on the admissibility of electronic records.  Ala Pendleton (2013) reiterated that it is usually difficult to prove the real author of an email message or social network posting. He says since there is no security over these internet communications there will be always issues as to whether a third party may have sent a message via another user’s account. Standing alone, the fact that an email communication is sent on a social network and bears a person’s name is insufficient to authenticate the communication as having been authored or sent by that person.

How then can the employer authenticate electronic based evidence to prove that the alleged misconduct was indeed committed by an employee?  Ala Pendleton (2013) says there are three methods of authenticating electronic evidence. The first one is to ask the alleged author if he created the facebook profile or created the email account. It became easier if the employee voluntarily owns up the account and the message.

We move on to option two if the employee disowns the account and the posting. The second option involves searching the computer of the person who allegedly created the profile and posting and examine the computer’s internet history and hard drive to determine if the computer was used to create the profile and the posting in question. Option two poses a challenge where the internet was accessed on a personal mobile phone or computer, there is no way the company can have access to the employee’s personal gadgets unless the company gets a court order first.

The third option is to obtain information directly from the social network website that links the establishment of the profile to the person alleged to have created it and also links the posting sought to be introduced to the person who initiated it. Apart from being impossible option three is very expensive because it requires organizations to send emissaries to overseas where most social networks websites are hosted.

It is therefore the author’s advice to all employees to play wisely over the internet to avoid misconducts which may arise over the use of internet while it is also the author’s advice to employers to gather enough evidence to support their electronic records evidence before rushing to lay misconduct charges against your employees over internet related misconducts.

Etiwel Mutero is a labour consultant. He holds a B.Sc. Honours Degree in Records and Archives Management and a National Certificate in Records Management and Information Science. You can contact him on +263773614293, email etiwelm02@gmail.com or on   www.facebook.com/emutero