The Herald

By Felix Share

10 January 2013

MASSIVE corruption has hit the education sector with district education officials reportedly demanding various amounts to interview temporary teachers to fill in vacant posts. The education officials are

charging the desperate untrained teachers amounts ranging between US$5 and US$10 as interview fees in addition to the US$5 they charge for application forms. The application forms should be given for free. The situation is rampant in Masvingo, Midlands, and Mashonaland Central.

Interviewed untrained teachers yesterday said the officials were also demanding amounts as much as US$300 as kickbacks to secure job placements for the relief teachers or educators seeking transfers to areas with better working conditions. Most of them said they had failed to meet the demands.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart yesterday said any official caught charging those amounts would be discharged from duty.

“There is no entitlement for any education official to charge any fees when conducting those interviews,” he said.

“This is corruption at its highest level and while many people are afraid to report the cases, we urge them to come forward with the names of those officials. Government will not hesitate to dismiss them from duty,” he said.

He said temporary teachers were important to the education sector as they were “filling a gap.”
“We have got a shortfall of teachers and it does not make sense to drive them away using such corrupt tendencies,” he said.

Zimbabwe has a shortfall of close to 14 000 as it employs about 97 000 teachers against a demand of 111 000.

An untrained teacher from Masvingo who recently went for the interviews said he was turned away after failing to pay the U$10 interview fees.

“I am looking for a job to get money but it does not make sense if I am forced to pay money upfront to Government officials,” he said.

“These officials are not employment agencies who charge certain amounts for us to get employment. More than 100 teachers might apply when the district has less than 20 vacant places.”

Another untrained teacher from Murehwa said they were made to buy application forms, which should be given for free.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Mr Takavafira Zhou confirmed receiving such complaints from their members fingering district education officials.

Zimbabwe has turned to temporary teachers to fill the huge gap created by the migration of qualified teachers at the height of the country’s economic challenges.

News Day

By Veneranda Langa

9 January 2013

Education minister David Coltart yesterday urged headmasters to exercise tolerance on schoolchildren who failed to pay fees as schools opened for the 2013 first term.

His call followed reports that some schools in Harare, Bulawayo and other parts of the country had turned away pupils over non-payment of fees.

Coltart said: “Government policy is that school heads should comply with the government directive to take in as many children as possible and that parents must pay the required fees. What we ask school heads to do is to negotiate payment plans with parents and I need to stress that schools cannot operate without money and so parents should make all efforts to pay the required amounts.”

The minister also acknowledged that some students were yet to secure Form One places.

“What we find is that those children who are affected want to go to particular schools and in most cases they cannot get places at those schools. It is not a problem that is affecting the majority of schoolchildren, but there is still an unacceptable number of them affected. We are still to ascertain the figures,” he said.

Coltart said the affected children should contact their nearest regional and district education offices for assistance.

Meanwhile, some parents interviewed by NewsDay yesterday said most schools had not increased fees for this term.

Benenia Makamba, a parent of a Form Two boarding school pupil at St Anne’s Goto in Wedza, said the fees had remained fixed at $380 per term although the school had earlier announced plans to hike the amount to $450 for the first term.

At St Mark’s High School in Mubayira, Mhondoro, parents said the fees had risen marginally from $400 to $420.

“The increase is reasonable,” said Maureen Chindotwe, a parent with a Form Three pupil at the school.

The Zimbabwean

By Paul Ndlovu

9 January 2013

The government has voiced its concern that schools across the country are not teaching minority languages and has said the issue needs to be prioritised.

“This problem is more prone in areas where there was a variety of mixed languages and cultures such as Tonga, Venda and other,” said the minister of education David Coltart.

He pointed out all schools were obliged to teach minority or marginalised languages as part of the country’s educational curriculum.

“There can be no exceptions, the ministry prescribed the curriculum to the schools, which they in turn have to follow.”

However, Coltart conceded that as much as schools had to pursue the curriculum, he understood the gravity of the problem affecting some areas.

He illustrated how it was a combination of factors starting from shortage of suitable teachers speaking the minority languages, to the curriculum itself and finances.

“These are related problems. The selection and training of teachers is a mandate of the higher and tertiary ministry. We don’t control that aspect, it is an anomaly which the ministry of education can’t solve on its own. If only the ministry of higher and tertiary could redraw some assistance from the education ministry like what used to happen in the 1990s that could be helpful. In my view there are also deficiencies in the syllabus,” he said. Coltart said the problem was deep rooted.

“There are few students from diverse cultures who can speak these languages and pass with the necessary qualifications and proceed to do higher education and become teachers. This has to do with the shortage of schools where they come from. It is a vicious cycle,” he said.

Even though the ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education announced that it would introduce a minority languages department at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic in Gwanda, Coltart said the course would not make the problem disappear.

The Chronicle

By Prosper Ndlovu

8 January 2013

THE Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture has further deferred the establishment of Academies of Excellence to 2014 citing lack of funding.

The idea to establish Academies of Excellence was mooted three years ago to ensure a rapid response and sustainable recovery and development of the education system with 20 schools identified to run the programme countrywide.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Senator David Coltart, yesterday said 2013 would be dedicated to rehabilitating three selected schools where the programme would be run on a pilot  basis.

“Lack of funding is delaying the implementation of the programme. However, we have agreed to run a pilot programme in only three schools out of the selected 20. These are Plumtree High in Matabeleland South, Mutare Girls High in Manicaland and Goromonzi High School in Mashonaland East,” said Senator Coltart.

“There will be no intake of students this year. Instead, we will concentrate on rehabilitating the schools and then have our first intake in 2014.”

Senator Coltart said $2,4 million euros, which translates to $3 million, was secured from the German government last year for the rehabilitation of the schools.

“It is frustrating that we have such delays because of lack of funding. We have not received any money from Treasury for the programme. Funding for rehabilitating the schools was sourced from the German government,” he said.

The programme was scheduled for January 2011 before being deferred to 2012 and later to 2013, as Government cited inadequate preparedness and lack of funding.

Senator Coltart is on record as saying $40 million was required to fully implement the project with each school requiring $2 million.

Under the programme, each province has two schools chosen for the programme whose first phase was expected to run from January 2011 until 2017.

The $2 million for each school includes scholarships for approximately 600 students, teacher incentives, upgrading and expansion of physical infrastructure, information technology programmes and other administrative costs.

Eveline Girls High and Milton Boys High schools were chosen as Academies of Excellence in Bulawayo.

In Matabeleland South, the academy for boys will be at Plumtree High while Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo High will house another group, which will start with boys and girls, although “it will be converted into a girls’ academy”.

In Matabeleland North, Binga Secondary and Fatima High will be co-education facilities with boys and girls.

The same concept of co-education will apply in the Midlands, Masvingo, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East provinces.

Harare will have boys at Churchill and girls at Girls High, with Manicaland having boys at Mutare Boys High and girls at Mutare Girls High schools.

The programme seeks to curtail loss of education opportunities, especially among disadvantaged students, through concrete, realistic and demonstrable returns on sufficiently focused investment in the education sector.

An estimated 40 percent of the intake at the academies will be reserved for academically talented disadvantaged children.

Business Day

By Samuel Mungadze

8 January 2013

THE situation at Beitbridge remains intolerable, unacceptable and a major obstruction to Zimbabwe ever attracting significant tourists from South Africa, according to Zimbabwe Education Minister David Coltart.

Mr Coltart, reacting to the abnormally long queues at the border over the past few days, suggested that a new border post be considered between the two countries.

Long queues of vehicles stretched as far as 20km into Zimbabwe on the main highway to the Beitbridge border post, one of the busiest in Southern Africa.

Eyewitnesses said police and immigration officers had a torrid time controlling the queues as frustrated travellers also had to contend with the heat and crying babies.

Mr Coltart, in his Facebook message, described congestion at Beitbridge as a national embarrassment and an obstruction to his country’s bid to attract foreign tourists.

Officials in Zimbabwe had blamed South Africa’s immigration officials for taking a casual approach despite the surge in traffic.

Lunga Ngqengelele, a spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor, denied there was a “casual approach” but confirmed there were problems at the border post.

“There is no dispute regarding the challenges at Beitbridge. We are aware of it and the department is working to improve the situation. This is not a problem with staff, but (with) the volumes passing through the border post,” he said.

Last year the department won a court case after it was challenged over the use of soldiers at OR Tambo International Airport.

In his post Mr Coltart said: “We have to move from talk to urgent action … this situation needs a massive, urgent effort by both the South African and Zimbabwean governments. If need be, we should be considering the construction of another road to South Africa — for example, the most direct … route is south through Kezi … that road needs to be upgraded and a new border constructed over the Shashi and a road constructed through Botswana direct to, say, Martin’s Drift.”

The South African Chamber of Commerce & Industry expressed concern but said opening a new border, though a good idea, would not solve the current problems.

Chamber CEO Neren Rau said the idea should be “how to improve road efficiencies that would promote trade and movement of people”.

News Day

By Moses Matenga

7 January 2013

A CABINET minister has rapped the level of congestion at the country’s main entry point, Beitbridge Border Post, where motorists driving out of the country are reportedly spending several hours queuing to be cleared.

Education minister David Coltart yesterday posted a Facebook post describing the chaos at Beitbridge as a national embarrassment and an obstruction to the country’s bid to attract foreign tourists.

“The situation at Beitbridge remains intolerable, unacceptable and a major obstruction to Zimbabwe ever attracting significant tourists from South Africa,” Coltart said.

Thousands of Zimbabweans working in South Africa were supposed to start work today, but fears are that they will fail to make it due to the pressure at the border post.

“Beitbridge and of course all borders, do not fall under my ministry, so to that extent it is none of my business. However, as senator for Khumalo (constituency) and therefore of a city, Bulawayo, which desperately needs South African tourists and investment, I am deeply concerned about this ongoing calamity.

“We have to move from talk to urgent action. In my view, this situation needs a massive, urgent effort by both the South African and Zimbabwean governments. If need be, we should be considering the construction of another road to South Africa – for example the most direct (as the crow flies) route is south through Kezi. I believe that road needs to be upgraded and a new border constructed over the Shashi and a road constructed through Botswana direct to say Martin’s Drift,” he added.“But in the short term, radical measures need to be introduced at Beitbridge — this is a national embarrassment and is costing Zimbabwe hundreds of millions of dollars of lost potential tourist revenue and other revenue every year.”

Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s office, Jameson Timba, concurred, adding there was need for urgent attention to address the issue.

“I share your sentiments David. Let’s tag team this quarter and see how far we can push the relevant ministers,” Timba said.
Both Home Affairs co-ministers Theresa Makone and Kembo Mohadi could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The Sunday News

By Lulu Brenda Harris

5 January 2013

PREPARATIONS for the construction of a school at Lupane centre, in Matabeleland North, funded by the Chinese government are on course as the constructors are carrying out last-minute surveying and will start building once satisfied with the site.

The school project, which was started two years ago, is a gift from the Chinese government to the people of Zimbabwe to promote education.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture deputy minister, Cde Lazarus Dokora, said Chinese officials have been to the site on numerous occasions and were busy conducting various tests and collecting samples.

The deputy minister described the Chinese as meticulous people who paid particular attention to detail and were still carrying out relevant site tests.

“The Chinese have been to the site with our education ministry officials. They have been busy collecting data, various soil samples, testing the land and other geometrical stuff. Officials from physical planning have also been to the site attesting to what type of structure would suit the area,” he said.

“Once they are done the physical real construction will take much shorter than the planning but otherwise everything is on course,” he said.

This school was at the centre of controversy in 2011 when its relocation was still undecided.

Initially the project had been earmarked for Bubi but was later moved to Lupane, which is the capital for Matabeleland North.

Leaders from Bubi were not amused with its relocation and described the move as “underhand” because the district is a resettlement area arguing it was no secret that “detractors” refused to see any form of development occurring in the area.

However the education ministry officials dismissed that notion and explained that it was ideal for the school to be situated in Lupane, which was the centre of Matabeleland North.

Minister David Coltart said his ministry recommended the Chinese to build the school in Lupane because it would be at a focal point.

The Independent

4 January 2013

‘Monday declared holiday as travellers flood Beitbridge,” the Herald stated last Friday.

This followed a pronouncement from President Mugabe declaring Monday, December 24 a public holiday.

“Workers no longer have to worry about returning to work before going back on holiday for Christmas Day and Boxing Day,” the Herald helpfully added.

This was clearly a populist move. If the government was really so concerned about the welfare of workers, why did it take a whole year to express that concern? It seems logical that Monday, December 24 should be a holiday given the need of many people to travel to their rural homes and then back to urban centres. But why wait all that time before making the announcement and causing havoc in the banking and commercial sectors? People couldn’t access their bank accounts on Monday except via ATMs and many stores and food
outlets were closed.

This is no way to run a country. Business people need to plan ahead and help their employees do the same. Only in Zimbabwe does the government wait all year and then suddenly decide an extra holiday would be a useful gift to a hard-pressed population. This was just one of several yuletide inducements.

On the hoof decision

We had the same fiasco in education where the authorities appeared unable to make up their minds as to which day the new term would start. Education minister David Coltart was sure of his dates. But the authors of the Government Gazette weren’t. They had pupils starting lessons a week later!

Was there no liaison between the arms of government? Couldn’t somebody pick up a phone and decide on the date?

As for travellers “flooding” Beitbridge, they have been flooding Beitbridge for 30 years but nothing has been done to ease the congestion. Beitbridge is a case study in incompetence and confusion. An assortment of government departments and agencies headed by Zimra compete to see who can cause the most inconvenience to travellers. Nothing appears to be done to assist the hard-pressed travellers.

And then, with many people having waited up to two days in the torrid conditions of the lowveld, Zimra pounces on unsuspecting travellers as they approach Masvingo. Double jeopardy!

If it’s any consolation, visitors to Zambia are fleeced of US$300 when crossing at Chirundu. If governments in the region insist upon inconveniencing visitors and returning residents they will get the reputations they deserve.

And Karikoga Kaseke will have to continue insulting our intelligence with claims of poor “perceptions” about Zimbabwe as if this is an invention of the Western press.

All talk scant action

Government is “concerned” with the increased number of deaths compared to 2011, Transport minister Nicholas Goche declared this week, as if they had just realised it. It seems government never gets tired of singing from the same hymn sheet at just about this time every year.

Goche’s “solution” to the carnage on our roads lay in the deployment of more vehicle inspectors.

“In this respect, I want to point out that we have since increased the presence of traffic safety council personnel to remind the public on the dos and don’ts of driving,” Goche said.

Police Assistant Commissioner Kenny Mthombeni chipped in saying they would continue to heavily deploy officers on the roads until “sanity prevailed”. Clearly we are in for a long wait!

Goche attributed most road accidents during the festive season to un-roadworthy vehicles, reckless driving and fatigue. Curiously the
appalling state of the roads seems to have escaped his notice while he was busy apportioning blame to motorists alone.

It is no wonder accidents are increasing given the snail’s pace with which the roads are being repaired.

Road repair crews along the Harare-Masvingo road abandoned their workstations during the holidays, the most inopportune time, forcing motorists to take detours along hazardous side roads.

Considering the revenue Zinara is accruing at tollgates, the horrendous state of our highways is totally unacceptable.We demand less “concern” and more action Cde Goche!

Zanu PF concedes

It seems Zanu PF is now resigned to the fact that the European Union (EU) sanctions imposed on President Mugabe and his coterie over human rights abuses are not going anywhere.

The “illegal” sanctions would not be removed as long as Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was not in power, squeaked Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa.

“The sanctions were imposed to install the MDC and Tsvangirai into power. I know the sanctions are going to be extended until after elections (this year). We are not going to have elections before February and this means the sanctions are going to remain in place until 2014,” Mutasa said.

This is despite spirited attempts by Zanu PF to arm-twist the EU into revoking the embargo. Remember the National Anti-Sanctions Petition Campaign which was formed after “ordinary people expressed outrage at the continued imposition of the sanctions”, at least according to the Herald.

Sanctions brick wall

Despite the campaign gathering “over two million signatures”, it hit a brick wall with the EU saying the issue was “simply not up for discussion”.

When persuasion failed, Zanu PF tried to sue the bloc with Attorney-General Johannes Tomana promising to “throw these illegal sanctions right into the face of the EU”.

Tomana’s claims ultimately boomeranged on him as he was forced to wait to be summoned by the EU on the issue conceding that “there have not been any developments on the case since we filed the lawsuit”.

Mutasa this week acknowledged the anti-sanctions drive is a lost cause: “It is naïve to think that the sanctions will be removed this February. The EU might, just as a face saver, remove the sanctions after February 2014, not because the MDC–T will have won — of course Zanu PF will win — but will be ashamed to continue having them in place.”

It is quite clear who should be ashamed here!

Ncube offside … again

As far as daft comments go, Welshman Ncube took the cake last month with his declaration his party is ready to participate in elections even without a new constitution.

While the Sadc-appointed facilitators were urging the inclusive government to ensure Zimbabwe becomes “a normal society again”, Ncube said his party was ready for polls even if they were to be called this month.

“So our position is that if it is not possible to have a democratic constitution, then let’s have elections without a new constitution. We can always fight for one after that exercise,” said Ncube. Not for the first time, Ncube has lost the plot.

The fact that the current constitution makes the playing field uneven in favour of Zanu PF is but one of the reasons we need a new one.

Bippa about-turn

Finally we have notification in the Herald that the government will no longer tolerate Bippa violations.

For 10 years President Mugabe’s supporters have been waxing defiant on this issue saying there will be no going back. Now we are told there must be no further seizures. So what occasioned this turnabout?

Zimbabwe is due to resume negotiations with the EU in Brussels soon.Top of the agenda will be the Bippa properties which have been arbitrarily taken.

The EU has said it will not proceed without resolution of this matter. Property rights are fundamental to the reform process. So let’s not hear any more of this “no going back” claptrap from Zanu PF.

Reform is coming whether it likes it or not.

New Zimbabwe

1 January 2013

A leading advocacy group is calling on government to strengthen the poorly-equipped Human Rights Commission ahead of elections this year so it can effectively deal with rights violations that may arise.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) says the government should fully address the commission’s inadequacies and inefficiencies raised by outgoing chairman Reginald Austin who resigned in protest last Friday.

He accused government of abandoning the rights panel with “no budget, no accommodation, no mobility, no staff and no implementing Act or corporate legal status.”

The lawyers’ group says the government should quickly act on concerns raised by Austin before the country goes to a constitutional referendum and a high-stakes general election expected mid-year.

“The spotlight is now focused firmly on government to take immediate concrete and positive measures to resource the commission, establish a professional secretariat and ensure that it is enabled ahead of elections,” the ZLHR said in a statement.

It added that Austin’s move was “an unequivocal statement of condemnation of the current operating framework of the commission, in particular excessive powers of the executive.”

“Executive interference must be minimised and legislators must act swiftly to improve the enabling Act ahead of the constitutional referendum and elections.”

ZLHR said empowering the commission would “put perpetrators on notice that they will not escape liability for any human rights violations during an election period, or generally.”

Zimbabwe’s successive elections since independence in 1980 have been marred by varying levels of intimidation and violence perpetrated mainly by President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party against opposition activists.

Hundreds of MDC supporters were killed in the run-up to the 2008 run-off vote, forcing Morgan Tsvangirai to pull out of the contest.

Rights defenders described Austin’s departure as a major setback for the human rights agenda.

Education Minister David Coltart, a veteran lawyer, said: “I am saddened by the resignation of Prof Reg Austin… I understand and sympathize with his reasons.”

“The system has made sure that he is frustrated into resigning before the commission even starts it’s real work,” Gutu, an MDC-T official wrote on Facebook.

News Day

By Moses Matenga

29 December 2012

THE two MDC parties in the inclusive government and several other smaller political formations are reportedly planning to rally behind one presidential candidate in a grand coalition to supplant the President Robert Mugabe-led Zanu PF regime in next year’s harmonised elections.

Although the pleas to unite the pro-democracy factions against Zanu PF are as old as multi-party politics in the country, party and civic society leaders yesterday said if the move succeeds, it will ensure a resounding victory for democracy.

Political analysts also pointed to the advantages of a united front by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangira, Welshman Ncube’s MDC and Simba Makoni’s Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD) against a sitting dictatorship post every election.

MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said: “The position of the MDC is that it welcomes co-operation and unity of purpose of all progressive democratic forces for the purpose of the removal of dictatorship. It, therefore, has always co-operated with other political parties.

“The decision of what form of co-operation it will be will have to be made by members of the MDC itself. Our leadership would be guided by the decision of the national standing committee, national executive, national council, the provincial executive, district executive and ward executive. All leaders will have to make that decision.”

Mwonzora said: “Gone are the days of having little political fiefdoms and it’s time to have one strong candidate who has realistic chances of dislodging the dictatorship especially one who has defeated Mugabe before.”
The MDC camp also indicated it supported a grand coalition although it remained sceptical of Tsvangirai’s commitment to the deal.
A senior member of the MDC, David Coltart, yesterday said the 2008 election was lost because of split votes hence there was need for unity to “fight a common enemy”.

“This is probably the best that we can have. In 2008, elections were lost because of votes that were split,” Coltart said.

“(Welshman) Ncube and I are not in fact at odds on this issue. Both of us agree that in an ideal world, we should have a single united opposition against Zanu PF, but we both recognise that that is well-nigh impossible. In the circumstances, we should strive to agree on an electoral pact so that we do not split the vote as happened in 2008.

“We both know this will be very difficult and if there is any disagreement between us it is in how we rate the chances of obtaining an electoral pact. He (Ncube) is very pessimistic that this is possible whereas whilst I am also fairly pessimistic, I think it is still possible. My views in this regard should not be taken as any fundamental disagreement between us or any loss of faith by me in his leadership.”

MDC99 leader Job Sikhala added: “It’s good, but there is no one who should be automatically imposed on the people. It needs negotiation.

“It’s true the common enemy is Zanu PF and people want to work together to obtain democracy in Zimbabwe. It’s obvious we all want to see Mugabe’s back.”

Political commentator Charity Manyeruke said it was possible for the parties to unite ahead of elections as they shared similarities.

“It’s their right and it’s normal like what is happening in other countries to unite and confront a formidable force. It’s understandable. I see no differences between the two MDC formations in terms of orientation,” she said.

Gideon Chitanga, a PhD candidate, Rhodes University-Politics and International Studies and a Fellow of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, Rhodes University and the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, recently wrote: “There is no doubt that any attempt to patch a top-heavy elite coalition will not succeed.

“If such a coalition succeeds in rallying a number of elites and their supporters together, it may help in securing electoral victory without advancing democracy, and therefore can only secure minimal change if any.”

The two MDC formations have previously conducted successful pacts, particularly when they all rallied behind Lovemore Moyo’s election as Speaker of the House of Assembly in 2008 and 2011.

Recently the two MDCs presented similar positions to the constitution-making body, Copac.