The theme will start rolling out in January 2008 in all the development areas where we work – Chiendambuya, Makoni, Wedza, and Seke – and a new one will be opened in Nkayi.

Key partners in the governance programme will be Civnet, the Public Affairs and Parliamentary Support Trust (PAPST) and Habakkuk Trust in Matabeleland region.

Discussions as the nature of the programme implementation and the expectations of ActionAid have been held and it is expected that it will enhance work in other themes, especially the citizens’ capacity to make informed demands.

It will also enhance the capacity of the duty bearers to understand their roles and responsibilities to the citizenry on policy formulation, implementation and accountability.

This process has come at a time Zimbabwe is undergoing a tremendous political socio-economic transformation, defined by the forthcoming harmonised presidential, parliamentary and local government elections, the worsening economic crisis, the HIV and Aids pandemic and the shortages of basic commodities.
 
In the implementation of the whole governance work, the partners are expected to embrace the Societies Tackling Aids through Rights (STAR) approach, and elements of the local level advocacy programme being used by Habakkuk Trust in its work in Bulawayo and outlying areas.

Meetings would be held with key national stakeholders like civil society, the political players from all political parties and other leading opinion makers on the Zimbabwe situation to inform ActionAid’s responses in food security, HIV and Aids, and women’s rights and also help the international community understand the nature of the Zimbabwe crisis.

To that end, ActionAid has hosted a regional team and facilitated meetings with various members of Zimbabwe’s civil society and the political establishment to assist them in understanding the nature of the problems the nation faces.

This work continues with several meetings being held with various other political and civil society actors to remain in the picture of the changing political environment and other machinations.

Defining the thrust of the work under the governance theme, the Country Representative will lead the key work in engaging major stakeholders in advocacy work around the intervention strategies to influence the outcome of the ongoing processes in Zimbabwe.