Zimbabwean

By Paul Ndlovu

23 August 2011

PTUZ Secretary General, Raymond Majongwe, said a recent survey showed that rural schools in the area faced a critical shortage of skilled teachers, and if urgent measures were not put in place education standards in the region would be comparable to nothing.

“When we sent our teams to the two provinces of Matabeleland,they were confronted with a catastrophic situation. In districts such as Lupane and Binga temporary teachers were literally running the schools.

“In some places it was discovered that the only qualified person was the school head and the rest were temporary teachers,” said Majongwe.

He attributed the lack of trained teachers to “anti-people” policies by the government, which he accused of exposing children to uncompetitive learning environments.

Lack of housing and water made most teachers unwilling to work in the remote areas. “In many instances they are forced to walk over 10 kilometres to fetch water. This is not an attractive scenario for a qualified professional teacher,” he said.

Provincial Education Director for Matabeleland North, Boitatelo Mguni, confirmed that the province was facing a serious deficit of trained teachers.

“Although I can not give specific figures at the moment it is true that the province is hard hit by lack of qualified teachers particularly in Mathematics and Science subjects. The most affected area being Binga where most primary schools are controlled by temporary teachers,” she said.

Education Minister David Coltart said government had introduced a special programme through the state’s universities to recruit more teachers especially for science and maths.

According to the PTUZ survey, very few teachers from Matabeleland were being recruited by the Zimbabwe School Examination Council for marking in the final year exams.

“Teachers need to teach as well as mark so that they can be in a position to determine the strengths and weaknesses of their pupils.

But our report indicated that few teachers from Matabeleland are recruited for marking,” said Majongwe.

Zimbabwean

By Paul Ndlovu

22 August 2011

Controversial teacher incentives look set to stay with Minister of Education David Coltart highlighting the role parents should play in their children’s education.

Coltart admitted the incentives were controversial, but said the government could not presently afford to pay teachers a respectable salary.

“It’s about management and commitment to institutions and safeguarding the future of the children,” he said. “What affects the Government, affects the parents. Right now the government can’t afford to pay teachers a reasonable salary that is when the parents have to come in and help.”

He said that by continuing to pay levies and incentives parents were investing in their children’s future.

Sometimes incentives involved more than paying money, and urged parents to be involved in the running of schools, he added.

“Parents can have a much greater role and involvement in the education of their children. If only government schools could take a leaf from mission and private schools. I recently visited Gutu United primary and I was impressed. The garden was well kept, the walls were freshly painted, the windows were sparkling clean. When I asked who did the job I was told the parents mobilise each other and carry out duties. If we love our children we should be willing to do such activities, reduce the burden on schools, especially rural schools. These chores such as making sure toilets are in good order are part of the aesthetic value of education. Together as parents and government, we can make our schools more vibrant, this is where our children spend most of their days,” he said.

Coltart added that his desire was to see education prioritised in order for the sector to receive adequate funding which would alleviate educational problems.

• Brian Vitori's figures today of 5 for 20 plus the 5 for 30 he got in his 1st ODI on Friday are the best figures for any bowler ever on debut #
• "Ministers plunder Government by buying luxury vehicles" http://t.co/kWsxhXK See my statement on my Facebook page re this #
• Wrong to jump to conclusion that General Mujuru's death involved foul play but the reality is that only hardliners benefit from his passing #
• Very disappointed by poor sportsmanship displayed by Bangladesh keeper in misrepresenting that a catch taken when clearly it hadn't been #

Blogs.tribune.com.pk

By Enoch Muchingo

August 18, 2011

Zimbabwe Cricket has been guilty to an extent of a perception management exercise that has come at a cost

Zimbabwe’s historic win over Bangladesh in their first Test match in six years was a rare dose of good news for the small African nation with great sporting potential.

Zimbabwe were playing their first Test after voluntarily withdrawing from the five-day format in 2005, a decision forced by the sacking of several senior players following an acrimonious dispute with the board, coupled with the country’s lengthy political and economic crisis, which left the team heavily weakened.

The question being asked by those not too familiar with the goings-on is what has led to this mini-revival in the game here?  There are several factors, both on the field and off it.

The changing political climate in the country has played a role that cannot be underestimated. Look no further than Zimbabwe’s three-year-old power-sharing inclusive government, which though shaky, has brought a degree of stability. Cricket enjoyed an extra advantage because David Coltart, who has a keen interest in cricket, was appointed the sports minister.

Coltart was able to convince Australia, New Zealand and Ireland to re-establish cricket ties with Zimbabwe following boycotts on political grounds. As a result, Ireland agreed to send their team for four One-Day Internationals last year and New Zealand are due here in September following a visit from Pakistan.

Another critical question is, what has Zimbabwe gained from their Test sabbatical following the disputes of six years ago?

A lot.

To prepare for their return, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), led by chairman Peter Chingoka and managing director Ozias Bvute, embarked on an exercise to revamp their domestic structure and expose players to as much four-day cricket as possible.

A franchise system created five teams, where leading players blended with the most promising youngsters. Former internationals like Andrew Hall, Jason Gillespie and Allan Donald were hired as coaches. Competition was lopsided at first, but as player movement between the teams became free and strength got pitted against strength, some good contests were recorded.

The franchises were also able to bring in overseas pros as well. The likes of Riki Wessels, Nick Compton, Chad Keegan, Paul Horton, Jonathan Beukes and Greg Smith spent full seasons playing in Zimbabwe.

More importantly the ZC lured former players and administrators who had left en masse during the impasse. Former captain Alistair Campbell is now involved as the convener of selectors and chairman of the cricket committee. Grant Flower and Heath Streak are batting and bowling coach respectively.

But do all these developments point to one big happy family in ZC?

If you scratch the surface, the answer is no.

Before the Bangladesh Test, Taibu pretty much summed it up when he launched a surprise attack on the board, accusing it of ‘painting a house that’s about to fall’, claiming players had not been paid match fees and allowances since last August.

ZC has been guilty to an extent of a perception management exercise that has come at a cost. Gillespie, Donald and Hall have not come cheaply. Players have benefited from them, but it has hit the board hard on the pocket.

The non-existence of a players’ representative body has also created a gulf between the players and officials.

All said and done, if there is no further disturbance in Zimbabwe cricket like what happened six years ago, the future looks very bright. A new sense of trust between players and administrators is a key to that.

http://www.newstimeafrica.com/

By Vladimir Mzaca

15 August 2011

Mark Zuckerberg could arguably be a modern day Albeit Einstein because of his revolutionary project- Facebook.  Over the years Facebook has become one of the most influential factors in grassroots socio-political mobilization worldwide, in fact the January 25 2011 Egyptian revolution could be credited to Facebook as it captured global attention. When the Egyptian revolution gained momentum the government tried without success to contain the social networking site by blocking it. Social media became a big player in politics. Bosmol- a social media marketing news website wrote: “Social media makes social organization easier and effective. Social media used by Egyptian protesters brought together individuals who shared common goals and ideas, but also offered a medium for planning. In the case of Egypt, social media forced the government to take accountability. Transnational social networks made it very difficult for governments to lie and hide from their citizens.” The Egyptian scenario is just one of many the world over that has social media networking sites such as Facebook playing an integral part in shaping history.

In Zimbabwe, Facebook is as popular and essential as water. People cannot imagine life before facebook. With mobile internet most people use it to log in to facebook to connect into a society that is free to speak its mind out without physical intimidation or confrontation. This “free” world is the best bet to get people’s uncensored views on socio-political issues. Because of the power Facebook holds in Zimbabwean communities, it has become necessary for politicians to also engage themselves getting connected to Zimbabweans all over the world. Naturally facebook has become a political constituency. The major players involved are the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation, politicians, the masses and yes the journalists who now get leads for stories as well as exclusive chats with politicians.

Zimbabwean journalist, Nqaba Matshazi, wrote that politicians have taken to social networking in the hope of gaining an extra edge over their rivals. “With the growth of internet penetration and the advent of mobile internet access in Zimbabwe, observers maintain that social networking may one day define the next Zimbabwean leader,” he wrote in The Zimbabwe Standard. Zimbabwean politics is largely dominated by old school politicians who can be traced to more than 30 years back. However, the few new school politians’ have seen the importance of social networking sites. MDC politicians like David Coltart, Nelson Chamisa, Obert Gutu, Gorden Moyo, Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti and Jameson Timba are among a host of politicians with Facebook pages, while Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai has a fan page.

From Zanu PF, Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Walter Mzembi and Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment minister Saviour Kasukuwere are the only ones who maintain regular presence on the world’s largest social networking site. Even political parties now have facebook pages.

Their regular interaction on facebook makes the work of journalists more efficient. The Deputy Prime Minister Professor Arthur Mutambara always answers questions from journalists whenever he is online- at times when he is busy he just replies by saying. “Busy lets chat later.” When he does that Facebook may become invaluable for a journalist. But the bigger picture is that facebook gives reporters an access to communities involved in newsmaking. In this way journalists find leads and develop sources. However, newspaper companies are still lagging behind in understanding what Facebook is all about. There was a time in the state controlled Herald and Chronicle when a move to block the use of Facebook during working hours was mooted. The argument brought forward although met with heavy resistance was that it diverted the attention of reporters. This is a lie because reporting is all about communicating and interacting with society.

Online news sites such as The Zimbabwe mail, Newzimbabwe.com have got regular posts on Facebook pages because they understand that for journalism to fulfill its mandate reporters and the publications they write for can connect on facebook to engage with their readership and sources to build their brands. Perhaps the most imperative skill for a journalist on facebook should be finding sources on the site and using them to full effect. Mxolisi Ncube a freelance journalist says he uses facebook with caution. “I am not that much into checking other people’s profiles because some of the prominent names are just fake identities, but I do get direct mail to my inbox that give me tips and others from organisations,” he said. The issue of facebook use in Zimbabwean media brings about the questions of basic ethics. Facebook can be a great source of news and ideas but no news story should be entirely sourced via social media. This is so because it is very easy to lie or misrepresent on a social networking site and no credible journalist wants to be taken for a hoax.

Zimbabwean journalism needs social networking just like any proggressive newsroom anywhere in the world. The use of social media tools like facebook cannot be ignored even though they are a sudden phenomenon. There is need to teach on ethics and use of social networking tools for practicing journalists. The popularity that facebook is getting in media circles has propelled the launch of “Journalists on Facebook” a page entirely dedicated to the used of the social networking site by journalists. The forum gives hints on how journalists can best use facebook to make their jobs easy and exciting.

• Zimbabwe v Bangladesh: Zimbabwe triumphant on Test return http://t.co/igouX6M via @espncricinfo #
• Bangladesh in Zimbabwe 2011: Zimbabwe's mindset ideal for growth http://t.co/WgYznoG via @espncricinfo #
• Ray Price: 'I tried to be Mitchell Johnson' http://t.co/OJvIPG6 via @espncricinfo
  – what a great article from one of Zim's best ambassadors #
• Well done to Brendon de Jonge for such an excellent start to the 4th Golf Major of the year – at the PGA today – flying the Zimbabwe flag #
• I am over the moon regarding Brian Vitori's 5 for 30 this morning against Bangladesh – I just LOVE it when a plan comes together! #
• Brendon de Jonge even par after two rounds at the PGA – doing Zimbabwe proud, 5 off the lead #
• Zimbabwean sportsmen and women have performed brilliantly this year in a variety of sports – now it is time for politicians to follow suit #
• The moral decay of our society is as bad at the top as the bottom – Telegraph Blogs http://t.co/26GsiOY Outstanding, sobering article #
• Brendon de Jonge minus 1 and moving up the leader-board at the PGA Championship – flying the Zimbabwean flag high and proud! Go Brendon #
• Brendon de Jonge ended with a third round 69 lying 15th. Pity DSTV doesn't follow Zimbabweans – didn't get even a peak of him all round #
• Excellent play by Brendon de Jonge flying the Zimbabwean flag at the PGA Championship. Rounds of 68, 72 and 69 – just 6 behind the lead. #
• Brendon de Jonge flying the Zimbabwean flag at the PGA – excellent play. Brendon de Jonge: http://t.co/ANjQ1bN #
• PGA leaderboard – good to have a Zim golfer there – http://t.co/DjeENnW #

Zimbabwe Independent  

Muckraker                      

Friday, 12 August 2011 

A TINY correction in the Herald caught our attention last week. It was headed “Matter of fact” and ran as follows: “In the Herald of July 30 we carried a story based on an interview with the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantine Chiwenga.

“In the story General Chiwenga mistakenly stated that the country had peace-keeping officers in Botswana, Burundi, and Ethiopia.

“Zimbabwe does not have soldiers deployed in the three countries.”

It would be useful if the general knew where Zimbabwe’s forces are currently stationed.

Meanwhile, the Herald of August 4 carried a picture of President Mugabe receiving a leopard’s head souvenir from Essar Global vice-chairman Ravi Ruia at the launch of the New Zimbabwe Steel Co in Redcliff.

How long has this company been in the country and how much game have they shot out already? Please Mr Ruia, leave our leopards alone.

The Sunday Mail informs us in a story headed “Gays and Lesbians on the loose” that police are investigating the “invasion” of a popular club, the Book Café, by a group of at least 40 gays and lesbians last month.

This provided the Sunday Mail with a pretext to advertise its ignorance. “They paraded their unholy acts in full view of the public during a performance by popular Afro-pop artiste John Pfumojena,” we are told.

The Sunday Mail reporters, Lincoln Towindo and Edwin Mwase, completely ignored a story in the Zimbabwe Independent setting the record straight, pointing out that while members of the audience did dress up for the occasion, they were most certainly not gay.

“The funniest rumour, reported as sinister fact by the Sunday Mail,” the Independent’s Own Correspondent reported on July 15, “was a ‘gay parade’ at Book Café which turned out to be a bunch of very straight party-time lads out for a massive booze-up.”

We suspect the Sunday Mail wasn’t interested in correcting its daft story. It just wanted to persecute people as part of its bigoted agenda. And then its editors and reporters wonder why they end up on sanctions lists!

Talking of which, who is feeding the president this story about there being 400 British companies operating in Zimbabwe? There may have been 400 here 10 years ago but like everything else that picture has changed. Owing to Zanu PF’s assault on the economy there are probably half that number now.

And anyway, who would want to invest in a country where the head of state threatens to “hit” them in retaliation for sanctions? Those companies are not responsible for the policies of their government. In all probability they oppose sanctions.

But let’s bear in mind companies will go where the investment climate is best. That means somewhere where the authorities are friendly and helpful like Mauritius, Namibia and Ghana. Why should they invest in a country where a predatory elite wants to seize 51% of their capital?

Zanu PF thinks it is doing companies a favour by allowing them to come and work here. But anybody listening to ministers like Saviour Kasukuwere will very quickly take their capital elsewhere. There are many countries which are happy to have investors and which reach out to them. After all, they bring with them fresh capital and technological know-how. Most progressive countries see that as a plus. They also welcome the tax revenues that go with investment. Not in Zimbabwe it seems. Here the plundering instincts of a lawless post-liberation aristocracy scares off investors and wrecks growth and employment prospects.

The Zimbabwe cricket team’s victory over Bangladesh on Sunday was a welcome relief considering the hammering they have been getting of late. Understandably the media was awash with adulatory stories of the team’s exploits. However, ZBC had to take it a notch higher, soaring into the realm of hyperbole.

“The Zimbabwe cricket team sent shockwaves on the test cricket arena after cruising to a 130 run victory over Bangladesh at Harare Sports Club this Monday on the team’s return to test cricket after a six year absence,” ZBC claimed on Monday.

Defeating Bangladesh, at the lower end of ICC rankings for Tests and one day internationals will hardly “send shockwaves” as ZBC claims.

What will happen if Zimbabwe manages to defeat India or Australia? Will it be a tsunami?

Meanwhile, Zanu PF loyalists were this week milking the violence that has hit the United Kingdom for all that it is worth.

Tafataona Mahoso said the violent protests were expected as the British government, which claims to be a champion of democracy, is now forced to have a taste of its own medicine as the violence erupted in an area inhabited by neglected ethnic and other social groups.

Jonathan Moyo, ZBC reports, said the violence that has hit London has exposed British authorities’ hypocrisy and double standards as they parade democratic principles by day yet they exhibits (sic) the opposite by night.

While we know that this is all self-serving drivel from apologists, we have to point out the British media’s hypocrisy. In light of the United Kingdom hosting the Olympics next year, should they not be questioning the “security threat” in their country because of the protests?

Who can forget the overly negative portrayal of South Africa as a crisis-ridden country before the 2010 World Cup?

A cheeky colleague asked Muckraker if Zimbabwe can issue a travel warning to nationals not to visit the UK. He went as far as suggesting that Sports minister David Coltart ask for Zimbabwe to host the Olympics in light of the “security threat” in the UK.

We were also amused by a ZBC story in which Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is said to have “baffled” mourners at Public Service minister Eliphas Mukunoweshuro’s funeral.

“Reports from Warren Hills indicate that Tsvangirai left mourners baffled as he used the burial of the late MDC-T minister to intimidate and castigate any candidate within his party who attempted to question or contest his position as the Western-sponsored party leader.”

Tsvangirai, ZBC adds, re-affirmed his “octopus-like grip” on the MDC-T as he declared war against any dissenting voices within his party, “a development that should have left his party supporters questioning the Prime Minister’s so-called democratic principles which he purports to preach”.

It seems that the mandarins at Pockets Hill did not read Jonathan Moyo’s latest instalment in the Sunday Mail. From his article it is clear from where the people refusing to let go of power come from.

http://stashsays.wordpress.com

August 11th, 2011 

This week’s Sunday papers announced two very interesting pieces of news. The Sunday Mail carried the story that government has suspended holiday lessons, better known as ‘extra lessons’ – for non-examination classes. Well and good seeing that a lot of teachers were beginning to abuse this system – deliberately failing to complete their syllabuses during the school term hoping to later rip off parents paying for extra lessons. What’s left is for somebody to confirm if this ban has in fact been instituted, as education minister David Coltart came out and refuted these reports.

I had a problem however with the announcement in The Standard that Cabinet is seriously considering effectuating a policy that will regulate the selling of alcohol to between 6am and 7pm, while a ban would be put on beer selling after midday on Sunday. Also to be banned is the selling of alcohol to visibly pregnant women, people deemed to be already inebriated and minors. Seriously? How ridiculous is that. Unless they are saying ultrasound equipment will be placed alongside barcode-scanners – how can anyone honestly tell a pregnant woman apart from one who just has a big tummy? I foresee rotund women potentially suffering serious discrimination because of this policy. Imagine being held up in a supermarket queue where each obese woman buying alcohol has to first get an all-clear before buying beer. How often do you see ‘visibly pregnant’ women buying beer, anyway.

As for the till operator – their new job specification is to vet each beer buyer and determine their level of drunkenness before deciding whether or not to sell them the beer? So it would be like you sir, with the Castle, kindly blow into this breathalyzer first before we complete this transaction. Try denying one of these chapomba fellas and see if they won’t hit you right smack on the head with the bottle.

According to Dr Timothy Stamps – former Health and Child Welfare minister, now health advisor to President Mugabe; these laws are being put together to protect the young and those that ‘react badly to alcohol’. Really?

While I agree that alcohol should not under any circumstances be sold to children, it is laughable that somebody imagines that by limiting alcohol buying time – they can actually limit the amount of alcohol a person imbibes at a given time. I mean, how many people keep their refrigerators stacked with beers and their shelves lined with bottles of vodka and other spirits? In any case, we could end up with a scenario similar to 2008 where illegal beer sellers used to park their cars and sell from the boot. I imagine that real drinkers always find ways around stupid legislation, and will stock their poison well in advance. Now isn’t that risking having people get more tempted to drink when they have all the alcohol in their stocks?

I think more energy should rather be put into public education on the consequences of excessive drinking and the value of responsible drinking. And like what the South Africans are doing – perhaps mull the idea of banning alcohol adverts (not to say I believe that necessarily makes a big difference. Half the alcohol consumed in Zim – like the home brewed kachasu and now popular Mozambican Timbirani – is not advertised.)

The whole idea of legislating morality and using the coercive force of law to promote notions of virtue or express the moral convictions of a selfish few would be anathema to a majority of citizens. Alcohol may be unhealthy in the long run, but that does not justify the kind of patronization being touted here, or laws that prevent consenting adults from indulging in it. I think it is highly detestable to assume that adult people do not know that alcohol is harmful to their health and therefore need geriatrics like Stamps to take their hand and say, you can only drink between 6 and 7.

Senator David Coltart

Acton Lecture on Religion and Freedom

Sydney Australia 26th August 2011

Senator David Coltart’s speech and the question and answer session given at the annual Centre for Independent Studies’ Acton Lecture on Religion and Freedom at the New South Wales Parliament in Sydney on Tuesday the 26th July 2011 has been posted on U Tube.

Lecture: http://youtu.be/xf9UI6prQgo

Q&A session:  http://youtu.be/hWzyzhoRuHo

Herald                                   

Thursday, 11 August 2011 

By Felix Share

Education, Sport, Art and Culture Minister David Coltart has refuted reports that Government has banned holiday lessons for non-examination classes.

He, however, said the ministry would punish teachers who initiate holiday lessons for monetary benefits after deliberately failing to complete syllabuses during the normal school term.

In an interview yesterday, Minister Coltart said holiday lessons for examination and non-examination classes should continue countrywide as scheduled but “extorting” parents should end. Reports were that Government had banned holiday lessons for non-examination classes with only Grade Seven, Form Four and Form Six classes allowed to have extra lessons during the school holidays.

Said Minister Coltart: “There was never a ban or even a suspension on the lessons as reported earlier on. Government is only against a situation whereby teachers deliberately fail to complete their syllabuses by the end of the term and force parents to pay for holiday lessons. “It is clear some teachers are not doing justice during the term and they should not extort from parents simply because they want to cover up for their laziness. “All lessons should go ahead as planned but without putting parents into forced arrangements.” He said parents should send their children for holiday lessons willingly.

“We have genuine cases where teachers perform well during the term and would want to do even better during the holidays.

“I see no reason for banning such cases because it will help in maintaining our standards and better our education sector,” he said.

Minister Coltart said headmasters and their district education officers would ensure teachers complete their syllabuses on time and parents are not prejudiced their cash through holiday lessons.

“Monitoring would be tight and any teacher found on the wrong side of the law would face the consequences in terms of the Education Act because that will be unprofessional conduct.

“Headmasters should be in a position to determine whether teachers have completed the syllabus or not. This they will do with the help of inspectors who are DEOs,” he said.

To improve the monitoring of schools, Government recently distributed 59 new vehicles for education inspectors.