City Link Haarlem Mutare

The City of Haarlem has an official link with the City of Mutare in Zimbabwe. Mutare is situated in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe on the border with Mozambique.

The Stichting Stedenband Haarlem-Mutare (Haarlem Mutare City Link Foundation) has been established to give form and content to the relation. The foundation works together with but is independent from local authorities and other organisations. The foundation organises activities at both Haarlem and Mutare.

The main counterpart of the foundation at Mutare is Local Action 21 (LA21).

Zimbabwe news
For current and accurate information visit the website of Mail & Guardian, a South African newspaper with good information on Zimbabwe (www.mg.co.za)
You may also find some news and background information under news on our website.

Below you will find an analysis of the situation in Zimbabwe from the zimonline website. We think it depicts the situation in Zimbabwe quite well.

Writing is on the wall for Mugabe, ZANU PF
by Showers Mamowa
Thursday, 11 December 2008
OPINION: A rather unimagined twist of events occurred last week in Zimbabwe’s perpetual political vicissitudes. This time it was the very guarantor of President Robert Mugabe’s authoritarianism: soldiers running amok in the capital. For further information, visit niews

What is next
The political, economic and social crises continue in Zimbabwe. The International Crisis Group has written a report in which it does proposals on how to proceed. Below you will find a link to this report.
Ending Zimbabwe’s Nightmare:
A possible Way Forward,
International Crisis Group, December 2008
Website: www.crisisgroup.org

Teen HIV Prevention Programme
On You Tube you may find a video about the activities of youngsters in Mutare on how they educate on the prevention of HIV/aids. http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=iXePjXvuiFk

CIOS Xplore – Sport education without borders
From 27 October until 21 November 16 2008 sport leaders from Mutare visited the Netherlands. They are part of the Xplore-exchange, (a programme financed by the Dutch Foreign Ministry) They also celebrated the 60 year anniversary with the CIOS (Haarlem Sports Institute at the ROC NOVA College). During their stay in the Netherlands, the Mutarese sport leaders attended different sport activities and instructions. In Mutare, these sport leaders have already set up sport events for eight years. With the assistance of some Dutch sport instructors posted in Mutare, the Mutarese sport leaders have developed their own training.
More information: www.ciosxplore.web-log.nl

Mutare on Google Earth
You may find some recent and detailed pictures of Mutare on Google Earth. Mutare can be found in Southern Africa, between 18°57’and 19°03’ South and 32°28’ and 32°42’ East.

ANBI status
Since January 2008, the Dutch Tax Department regards the City Link Haarlem Mutare as an ANBI (an institute for general benefit). This means that donations to the City Link are tax deductible.

Event for Simukai

SIMUKAI event sponsored by CIOS collection

As mentioned in the former city link magazine, several CIOS sport students took an internship in Mutare for international sports development.
Back in The Netherlands, the students organized different events to collect money in order to support the work in Mutare.
Anthony B., one of those students, decided to arrange a shooting event at the fitness centre “Club West” during the opening of the world championship football from Friday, 11th June until Sunday, 13th June.
For 1 Euro, the participants had 2 shots to collect points by shooting at the goal. The main price was a monthly ticket for the fitness centre and the one who got second received a 5 times free entrance. In total, 107 Euro were collected that weekend.
Anthony has decided to sponsor a Simukai event in Mutare with this activity.
In October, a “Street Children mini gala” will be organized. A small event with different activities for street children in Mutare.
The local sport leaders are still looking into the different possibilities and more details will follow soon.

Reporting and Recording Zimbabwe
The Britain Zimbabwe Society 2008 Research Day
by Wendy Willems
The Britain-Zimbabwe Society (BZS) Research Day 2008 explored how the Zimbabwe story was ‘reported and recorded’ both prior to and post Independence. The day addressed a range of research questions, including how the Western media, and the British media in particular, covered the Zimbabwe story, the challenges local journalists in Zimbabwe face in covering issues, and the way in which the news agenda is determined. Zimbabwe’s history has been characterised by state attempts to control the media, alongside state support for mass media as a means to reach both rural and urban populations. In recent years, newspapers have been shut down, radio stations jammed, journalists arrested and others have gone into exile. This media environment has been deemed repressive by a broad range of commentators, while government supporters have portrayed the independent media as the product of externally-funded actors. The Research Day attempted to put these developments into broader historical, legal and media contexts.