Letter to Editor of Newsday
29 March 2011
By Senator David Coltart
Editor,
This is an appalling piece of journalism you are ultimately responsible for. For the record when I was phoned yesterday evening I told your reporter that the tender was awarded by Unicef, not Dr Peter Salama. I invited your reporter to speak to Dr Salama to get confirmation of this which clearly he did not do.
Furthermore I did not ever say I was out of the country when the tender was awarded. I said clearly, in fact twice, that the tender decision was made by Unicef out of the country, in fact in Copenhagen. I specifically told your reporter that the decision was made in Copenhagen and that neither myself nor the Ministry had any role in the award of the tender.
As for the headline you have chosen – “fingered in a shady tender award” – not only does that bear little relation to the body of the story but also it does not bear any relation to the facts. You have displayed the most appallingly bad standards of journalism by rushing into print without seeking to establish the facts. You have not even bothered to speak to Unicef, which manages the Education Transition Fund, and which knows all the details regarding this tender.
In closing it must be stated that I am assured by Unicef that the award was made purely on financial and educational, not political, grounds. You have not even mentioned that this tender has resulted in the delivery of 13 million textbooks to millions of Zimbabwean children and has got our textbook to pupil ratio down to 1:1 in 4 key subject areas – the best in Africa.
I hope in the interests of ethical journalism and the truth, you will publish this letter and give it equal prominence to the story you have published.
Sincerely,
Senator David Coltart
Minister of Education, Sport Arts and Culture