Since 2020, @AccountLab #Zimbabwe (ALZ) and the Vendors Initiative for @visetinfo have been implementing CivActs in Goromonzi. Our citizen engagement approach, CivActs, empowers communities to engage duty bearers and devise solutions to their most pressing challenges. Yesterday, with our friends from VISET, we were in Goromonzi for a community exit meeting for the New Narratives for Accountability in Zimbabwe (NNAZ) Project. The meeting, attended by the citizens, representatives of community based organizations, councillors, representatives from cooperating line ministries, village heads, and community-based organizations, reflected on the achievements of CivActs in Goromonzi and proposed strategies to sustain the impact. Through CivActs, the community engaged the local authority and through sustained advocacy, the local authority constructed vending stalls and ablution facilities at Majuru Growthpoint, a tarred road from Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ) to Majuru Growthpoint, and sheltered bus stops along the major roads. The stakeholders acknowledged that CivActs had significantly enhanced dialogue among key stakeholder groups, including with the local authority and Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ), a mining company operating in Goromonzi. The local leaders commended the Community Frontline Associates (CFAs), who worked under the NNAZ project for their service to the community and encouraged them to continue utilizing the skills and knowledge acquired through the project as agents of social change. Accountability Lab is scheduled to continue with the NNAZ closeout meetings in Mbare, Chitungwiza, and Glenview, and will conclude with a National Closeout Ceremony at the end of July. #makinggovernancework4people

The @AccountLab #Zimbabwe team has arrived in #Zambia for #drif25, ready to kickstart a productive week focused on digital rights! We are starting off with an evening of networking and a NetRights Coalition meet-up, curtsey of @ParadigmHQ , a fantastic opportunity to connect with colleagues who are passionate about protecting digital rights and championing internet freedom, which is our right to enjoy. Beyond these vibrant ecosystem-building spaces, we are equally excited to lead a session on AI Governance and Ubuntu on Wednesday 30 April 2025 at 09.10 A.M (CAT). Together, we will explore what ethical AI looks like from an African perspective, and how AI governance can balance technological progress with ethical values and African epistemological traditions. We will keep you posted as the week unfolds. Let’s engage and collaborate to build a thriving and inclusive digital governance ecosystem. #makegovernancework #DRIF25 #DigitalRights #InternetFreedom #AIGovernance #Ubuntu #Africa

“Over years of introspection, I had come to the conclusion that a lot of what we were doing as civil society was not necessarily wrong, but was insufficient in producing the kind of results that we were looking for. I was constantly reminded that we should not turn into what we were fighting against because the people didn’t know anything else or any other way.” reflects @Makil, Accountability Lab Zimbabwe's Country Director. 👓 @AccountLab's Samina Anwary sat down with McDonald, discussing his vision for the future of accountability, and how we need to reimagine democracy to be more representative and responsible if it is to remain relevant: bit.ly/4hsLE6B