Membership
Become a Member
ZICOSA is a membership based organization. Any person residing in South Australia is eligible to be a member if he/she has a link to the country of Zimbabwe by birth, nationality, residence, descent, marriage to or adoption by an eligible person or proven special interest in Zimbabwe and its people. The benefits of being member are many.
- Connection with a community of Zimbabweans sharing a common cultural background and interests.
- Programmes for education, social activities, business ideas, youth, religion and so forth.
- Platform for connecting with a market for various services and goods.
- Support in difficult times.
- Platform for information about job and economic activities.
- Platform for general information about events in the community.
- Link to connect with other bodies.
- Platform for lobbying for common interests and rights.
Membership Form
Eligibility
Membership of the Association is open to Zimbabweans, as defined by Section 1.3 i. of this Constitution, who are:
(a) State based Zimbabweans residing in South Australia;
(b) Individuals who do not belong to any of the above-mentioned classes but who have a genuine interest in Zimbabwe and the people of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwean South Australians and who are sponsored by at least three other members and whose membership application is approved by the Committee Chairperson and Secretary.
Suspension or Termination
Membership of an individual can be terminated by the Committee for any of the following reasons:
(a) Conduct considered by the Executive Committee to be detrimental or harmful to the objectives and/or image of the Association;
(b) Non-compliance with the terms and requirements of the Constitution;
(c) Non-payment of membership fees for a continuous period in excess of two years. Rights shall be restored upon payment of the membership fee.
(d) Provided that the Disciplinary Committee shall afford reasonable opportunity to the individual to attend before it and make any representation or answer to the matters under consideration by the Committee before any decision is made on the termination of membership.
Where membership is terminated, written notice of the termination shall be given to the individual. The notice shall also inform the member of the right to request a review of the Committee’s decision by request to the Chairperson of the Committee within 28 days of the sending of the notice. The decision of the Committee on any review shall be final, but the Member shall be given an opportunity to make any representations to the Committee before a decision is made.
A member of the Association who violates the principles contained in this Constitution may be expelled from the Association by the Committee, following the recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee.
The Committee, upon the recommendation of the Disciplinary Committee may suspend a member of the Association.
Rights & Duties
All Members shall be equal.
Each Member pledges to abide by the principles detailed in the present Constitution.
Each member pledges to make the following undertakings:
(a) To respect the exclusivity of the responsibilities of officers of the association and not seek to influence them in the discharge of their duties in such a way that might deem them as contravening the principles of office.
- The Association shall accomplish its purposes through the following principal organs:
(a) The Executive Committee
(b) The Disciplinary Committee
- Such subsidiary organs as may be deemed necessary may be established in future in accordance with the present Constitution.
- The Association shall place no gender restriction on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity.
Conditions
Membership implies the acceptance of and compliance with the provisions of this Constitution and the payment of membership fees as determined in this Constitution. Only paid up members are eligible to vote at meetings of the Association.
Application for membership shall be made to the Committee by completion of prescribed application forms. Applications shall be considered by the Committee in accordance with the merits of the applicant in complying with the objectives of the Association. Successful applicants shall become full members upon Committee approval.
An organization or individual application if rejected may apply to the Committee to bring the question of admission for reconsideration, whose decision shall be final.
Classes of Membership
The classes of membership shall be:
(a) Associate Membership given to related Association members and recognized community members of Zimbabwean heritage.
(b) Ordinary Membership given to Zimbabwean South Australians in accordance with this constitution.
(c) Friends’ Membership given to individuals who have a genuine interest in the affairs of the Association and are of Zimbabwean heritage.
(d) Honorary Membership conferred on persons nominated and appointed by a majority of the Executive Committee for outstanding service to the Association.
Cessation of Membership
Any related association may renounce its membership by forwarding a written notification to the Secretary. Any member of this Association wishing to retain his/her membership may apply for individual membership.
Any member of the Community may resign from membership by giving written notice to the Secretary. Any member so resigning shall be liable for any outstanding subscriptions, which shall be recorded as a debt due to the Association.