Parliamentary Liaison Officer (based in Cape Town)

Applicants for this position will have a graduate degree in Law, Social Sciences or relevant field, highly developed communication, networking, interpersonal and presentation skills. Excellent writing and reporting skills and superior ability in written English, ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines. Applicants should also have knowledge and understanding of refugee and immigration law and policy and have a thorough understanding of parliamentary processes. Knowledge of other South African languages would be an added advantage. Key responsibilities include:

· Monitoring of parliamentary processes and provide information to the network for input

· Have regular meetings with relevant members of parliament (including Chairpersons or individual members of relevant Portfolio Committees)

· Write briefing documents for MPs after receiving contributions from CoRMSA staff members and member organisations.

· Coordinate or draft submissions on relevant legislation in consultation with staff members and the CoRMSA members

· Lobby parliamentarians on identified issues and arrange briefing sessions where appropriate

· Identify issues emerging from Parliamentary processes that require further advocacy and/or lobbying by CoRMSA staff

· Compile reports of meetings and disseminate to CoRMSA staff and members

· Management of the CoRMSA Cape Town office

· Attend relevant meetings with various stakeholders

· Provide support to networks in Western and Eastern Cape

· Work with local government in the relevant provinces

· Establish CoRMSA’s presence in the Cape

· Represent CoRMSA in Western Cape events

· Liaise with the media as required

Capacity Building Coordinator (based in Johannesburg):

This position calls for a self-motivated individual with a graduate degree or relevant experience in conducting training programmes, working with networks, highly developed presentation skills, knowledge of the refugee and migrant sector, willingness to travel. Key responsibilities include:

· Manage CoRMSA’s training programmes

· Liaise between CoRMSA staff , and member organisations to identify training priorities

· Facilitate development of CoRMSA training programmes

· Facilitate development of training materials

· Develop communication material for target groups and member organisations in consultation with CoRMSA’s Communications Officer

· Conduct monitoring and evaluation on impact of training conducted and on trainers/facilitators

· Facilitate training sessions and/or source relevant facilitators

· Ensure that all training commitments in line with donor and other contracts are honoured

· Report as required to CoRMSA’s Executive Director and Deputy Director

Please send applications to info@cormsa.org.za. Closing date: 3 September 2010. CoRMSA will contact only shortlisted candidates. If you have not received any communication from us within 6 weeks of the closing, please consider that your application was unsuccessful.

The IMC was reactivated following reports by CoRMSA and others of a number of threats being made of violence against foreign nationals after the World Cup. The IMC then played an important role in ensuring an effective security response to threats and initial outbreaks of violence in some locations and thus helped to contain violence and prevent its spread.

In the media briefing, Cabinet spokesperson Themba Maseko observed that violence against foreign nationals usually took place in particular ‘hotspots’ and noted a commitment from Cabinet to deal with new threats “decisively without any waste of time”. He stated further that “the IMC will continue to exist to monitor developments and our security forces will always be on alert to watch out for any possible incidence of violence”.

CoRMSA welcomes the ongoing active role of the IMC to ensure actions to prevent and contain threats of incidents of violence against foreign nationals.

To read the Cabinet statement, please click here. To view the transcript of the media briefing, please click here.

The Bill is available at http://www.pmg.org.za/bill/20100129-prevention-and-combating-trafficking-persons-bill-b7-2010

Further information on the call for submissions is below.

Comment: Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill [B7 - 2010]

The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional invites stakeholders and interested persons to submit written submissions on the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill [B7 – 2010]

The purpose of the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill is to:

• • • Give  effe ct to the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children
    • Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, 2000
    • Provide for an offence of trafficking in persons and other offences associated with trafficking in persons
    • Prevent and combat the trafficking in persons within or across the borders of the Republic
    • Provide for measures to protect and assist victims of trafficking in persons
    • Provide for the establishment of the Intersectoral Committee on Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons
    • Provide for matters connected therewith.

Comments can be emailed to the Secretary Mr V Ramaano at vramaano@parliament.gov.za by no later than 20  August 2010, 12:00 AM. Please indicate your interest in making a verbal presentation. Public hearings will be held in Parliament on 24 and 25 August 2010.

Enquiries tel Mr V Ramaano: (021) 403-3820 or 083 709 8427

Issued by Hon NA Ramatlhodi, MP, Chairperson: PC on Justice and Constitutional Development

Minister Sisulu has urged those being threatened to report the matter to the local police stations so that actions can be taken.

For further information, see these news reports:

http://www.newstime.co.za/SouthAfrica/SAPS_In_Western_Cape_Settlements_Amid_Xenophobia_Fears/7580/

http://www.buanews.gov.za/news/10/10071213551001

In Gauteng, the contact people are:

* Colonel Makaringe (Head of Visible Policing in Gauteng) - 082 778 5933
* Lieutenant-Colonel Ramahuma - 083 416 8792
* Captain Mdletshe - 083 983 4253
* Captain Mahlatsi - 079 892 9840

In the Western Cape, people are urged to contact the branch commanders of the local stations using the numbers on the attached sheet.

Western Cape Police Contact Details

Unite as One information

Petition

Unite as One Pledge

CoRMSA recently submitted a set of 10 recommendations to the IMC on tackling xenophobic violence and one of the recommendations was the need for regular statements by senior officials to show that such violence or threats will not be tolerated. The IMC is due to hold a further meeting next week and has called for organisations or individuals with further information on threats of violence to share the information with the police.

To read the Minister’s full statement, please click here or see below:

Minister Mthethwa condemns and cautions these thugs to refrain from threats1 July 2010

Government will not tolerate any violence for any reason against foreign nationals resident in South Africa, says Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa.

The police are aware that media and civil society organisations have over the past few weeks expressed concern about rumours that foreign nationals living in South Africa face a threat of xenophobic violence after the end of the FIFA World Cup tournament.

According to these rumours, residents in certain parts of the country, with a concentration of foreign nationals, are providing a range of reasons why foreign nationals may be targeted. Minister Mthethwa, who chairs the recently-established Inter-Ministerial Committee on xenophobia, has strongly rejected any claim by any community that may seek to justify violence against foreign nationals.

“We will not tolerate any threat or act of violence against any individual or sector of society, no matter what reasons are given to justify such threats or actions. Government is closely monitoring these xenophobic threats by faceless criminals whose desire is to create anarchy. We want to assure society that our police are on the ground to thwart these evil acts,” he said.

The intelligence arm of the police, supported by various community structures has been hard at work investigating these allegations across the country. We have over the last year emphasised the important role that crime intelligence needs to play in the fight against crime and the need to rejuvenate our crime intelligence to service all aspects of policing. Police are able to thwart any form of criminality before it happens.

The minister reiterated the assurances given in recent years and months that police will continue dealing a deadly blow to criminals post the 2010 FIFA World Cup. “Security agencies are on high alert to ensure that threats and manifestations of violence against any individual or group are effectively addressed. In the spirit of working together, government therefore calls on organisations and individuals who have information regarding threats of xenophobic violence to present this information to the police.”

He emphasised that police alone cannot win the fight against crime. “Criminals do not live in isolation from communities. That is why we need to deepen our partnership with communities. We took a decision of fighting crime and fighting it toughly and smartly by utilizing all resources and capabilities at our disposal and the results are there for everyone to see,” concluded Minister Mthethwa.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee will hold a review meeting next week in Pretoria. It will be convened by the Minister of Police and will include the Ministers of Home Affairs, Social Development, State Security, Basic Education, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Arts and Culture as well as International Relations and Cooperation.

For enquiries please contact:
Zweli Mnisi
Cell: 082 045 4024

Issued by: Ministry of Police
1 July 2010

In November 2009, a large number of Zimbabwean nationals were displaced due to xenophobic violence in the town of De Doorns in the Western Cape. CoRMSA, Black Sash and Oxfam set up an independent monitoring team to monitor conditions in the displacement site and in the town to provide independent information that could assist in ensuring humanitarian needs were met as well as contribute to resolving the displacement crisis.

The site was intended to be closed on 31st May but the closure was postponed following interventions from civil society where concerns about the process were raised. Reports 9 and 10 provide information on conditions prior to the intended closure as well as the situation after the intended closure. The monitoring team intends to conduct further monitoring visits this month.

For Report 9, please click here.

For Report 10, please click here.