Newsday

By Rejoice Ngwenya

16 October 2011

Zimbabwe’s perennial presidential aspirant Morgan Tsvangirai is logged on a default “entitlement” mode that he can in 2013, ceteris paribus, garner the elusive Parliamentary majority.

Psychologists have evidence that humans — in the face of adversity — tend to exaggerate their self worth. Tsvangirai’s machismo bravado may have historical justification, but some contend that in choosing to ignore the unpredictable, he is burying his head in the sand of preferred subjective outcomes.

My hunch is that the 2013 plebiscite will be contested on basic “sadza and tea” electoral issues rather than psychotic brand loyalty, even if fellow analysts present a formidable array of arguments how Zimbabweans are not ripe for issue-based politics.

They argue that the mere fact that villagers have unquestioning loyalty to President Robert Mugabe despite his ill-fated impoverishing policies, psychotic affinity is bound to carry the day.

I insist that barring drastic ideological transformation, the ageing nationalist will garner only around 10% of the total votes, the rest shared between Tsvangirai and Professor Welshman Ncube.

Those of us who claim liberal democratic enlightenment wryly celebrate the prospect of Zanu PF’s unfamiliar role as a fringe opposition party.

If Tsvangirai’s calculations of Parliamentary domination are based on possible Zanu PF extinction, he is sliding on a rail of false levitation.

I use the word “false” lavishly, knowing that his strategists are consumed with a sense of domineering political monopoly, defeating the very cause of democratic parliamentary multiplicity.

Caveat: Electoral success is not measured on the basis of 20 000 ululations at Zimbabwe Grounds but for me, the mere prospect of “one-party MDC-T dictatorship” is itself too ghastly to contemplate.

Both MDCs have a glaring opportunity in the Government of National Unity to prove their proficiency.

However, a sneak preview of Tsvangirai’s performance in both central and local government makes me concur with M&G blogger Amukelani Mayimele’s prophetic pronouncement that “when you vote you change nothing”.

Benjamin Chitate insists: “It would be unfair to say Tsvangirai has been a failure when he managed to lead a party that defeated Mugabe with all his university degrees in the 2008 elections.”

The sort of blind loyalty that breeds damaging cult mentality! Towns under the “spell” of MDC-T governance have probably less water today than 10 years ago. Since the “unceremonious” displacement of Ncube’s MDC from Bulawayo, the city has slid into exponential infrastructure and social service dilapidation.

MDC-T minister Sipepa Nkomo’s “dream pipe” from Zambezi River still remains . . . a pipe dream! Much Masunda’s Harare teems with idle citizens while those that are employed — including civil servants — wallow in poverty. MDC-T councils are burdened with a repertoire of scandals — the kind of political fuel ideal to jettison voters towards “issue-based” preferences.

Welshman Ncube and his lieutenants, though credited with “fewer crowds”, have tenure in government that presents better value proposition for “issue- based” voting in 2013.

His model of “industrialisation” as applied in Redcliff and David Coltart’s resuscitative participatory education system are examples of how countries must be run.

MDC-T’s Elton Mangoma presides over notorious electricity power outages while Tapiwa Mashakada’s STERP smacks of leftist Hugo Chavezian paranoia. Tendai Biti struggles with fiscal infirmity and Sesel Zvidzai is conspicuous by his deafening silence.

Restive Theresa Makone blows harmless political volcanic ash as Jacqueline Zwambila gloats in her new lead role as Australia’s rendition of Desperate Housewives. Contrast this with Ncube, Coltart, Moses Mzila-Ndlovu, Trudy Stevenson and Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga who portray a likeable image of sober maturity and sophistication!

I may be wrong, but were 2013 elections to be GNU performance based, Ncube’s “sadza and tea”offerings would confine Tsvangirai to second place, with Mugabe a miserable but necessary-for-a-healthy-democracy distant third!

Daily News

By Chengetai Zvauya

14 October 2011

Harare - Police have barred members of Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) from marching in the streets of Harare to demonstrate against the continued harassment of teachers countrywide.

They wanted to demonstrate against the dismissal and victimisation of teachers who were given a blanket amnesty by the coalition government in 2009 to return to work after they had absconded from their duties seeking greener pastures in neighbouring countries.

PTUZ secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said the union had mobilised its members to march along Julius Nyerere Way to National Social Security (NSSA) building in the city but were stopped by the police.

“Teachers given amnesty to return back to their teaching stations are being victimised and dismissed from their work. The amnesty has ended and this is what we want to demonstrate against,” said Majongwe.

PTUZ petitioned the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture with demands they needed addressed including the non-payment of salaries for some teachers who were blacklisted for their perceived support of the MDC.

Some have not been paid since their reappointment March in 2009.

David Coltart Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture said he did not support the non-payment of the teachers who were given amnesty in 2009.

“When we announced amnesty to the teachers we agreed as cabinet that they must be paid, and that the political victimisation of the teachers has to stop,” said Coltart.

PTUZ is teacher union body with membership of 15 000 countrywide.

B-Metro

14-20 October 2011

The Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, David Coltart, has congratulated Zimbabwean, David Pocock for a sterling performance that helped Australia beat defending champions South Africa in the quarter finals of the World Cup in New Zealand last Sunday.

Pocock was born in the country and then migrated to Australia, where he made it to the national team. The South Africans have Zimbabwean Tendai Mtwarira in their books but he did not feature in the match.

“Congratulations to Zimbabwean David Pocock for securing the Wallabies place in the Rugby Eorld Cup semi final,” said Coltart on the social network site Facebook on Monday.

Pocock proved to be the Wallabies’ ‘Jewel of a Jackal’ when winning 11-9 over the Springbocks.

The 23 year old flanker, who moved to Australia from his Zimbabwe as a teenager, produced a stunning display in the Wallabies’ quarter-final victory over.

He put in 26 tackles but more importantly continued to gorge his trade in forcing turnovers at the breakdown.

In the absence of Springbok ‘fetcher’ Heinrich Brussow, who went off injured after 20 minutes, Pocock totally dominated the breakdown to help set up a semi-final against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand next weekend. Australia coach Robbie Deans labelled Pocock’s performance as the best individual display of the 2011 tournament.

“Immense. David Pocock’s game was remarkable,” he said. “And it was bigger than he got credit for.

“He’s clearly a huge influence in any game he plays in and we’d clearer be poorer for his absence.

“The world is blessed with some very good snafflers at the moment and no doubt people will be looking forward to next week, to that end,” he said of Pocock’s likely duel with All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.

Pocock has amassed 37 caps in the three years since making his debut, but was back on the field on Sunday for his first full game since missing the Wallabies’ shock 15-6 pool loss to Ireland.

“We were very confident and clear what we wanted to do,” Pocock said. “But they pinned us in our half for long periods of the game.

“Because we were defending for so long there were great opportunities at the breakdown.

“Losing Brussow was definitely a blow for them,” Pocock admitted. “He’s a quality player and he puts a lot of pressure on the breakdown.”

Deans acknowledged that New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence’s ‘anything goes’ approach to the breakdown had helped Pocock’s game.

“I think both sides were hard done by. It was a hotly contested area so maybe it evened out, maybe it was fair,” he said. Deans added of his star flanker, who took the number seven shirt from the legendary George Smith:

“David was one of the International Rugby Board players of the year last year (Pocock was a nominee for an award won by McCaw) and you do not get that status lightly.

“He is an influential player who makes things happen.”

Springbock flanker Schalk Burger called Pocock a “fantastic player”.

“Getting him back is a massive boost for Australia,” Burger said. “You know that if he gets the opportunity he will turn over possession.

“Any team knows that if it dominates the breakdown it will go well in the game and Pocock is one of the best openside flankers in the world.”

The other semifinal will feature Wales and France on Saturday with the hosts playing Australia on Sunday.

The Herald

13 October 2011

Zifa are hoping to use the goodwill they are enjoying with the Government now to help them in securing the State’s guarantee to host the 2012 African Women Championships. The soccer mother body has, over the last year, mended their relationship with the Government and the Sport and Recreation Commission and in turn have started receiving support from the ministry. The Confederation of African Football have offered Zimbabwe a chance to host the women’s version of the Africa Cup of Nations if they meet the conditions needed to stage an event of such magnitude.

This year in July, Zimbabwe successfully hosted the Cosafa Women’s Championships following the last minute withdrawal of Reunion. The African championships also serves as the qualifying games for the World Cup and the teams which finish in the top two automatically qualify for the next edition of the Fifa Women’s Soccer World Cup. The Mighty Warriors have been drawn to play Botswana in the preliminary round with the winners set to meet defending champions Nigeria in the final qualifying round.

But if Zimbabwe succeed in hosting the event they will automatically qualify for the tournament as the hosts

After briefing the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart on Tuesday during the signing of a memorandum of understanding for grassroots development, Zifa are now expected to make the formal request by writing to the permanent secretary Stephen Mahere and submit the letter from Caf lutlining the continental soccer governing body’s requirements. Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze said they cannot disclose much at the moment and will only do so after engaging the Government first.

Coltart, however, revealed that it is the government’s policy to put the country in a good light by hosting many international events, which in turn also market the nation. South Africa hosted last year’s AWC in Johannesburg and missed out on the World Cup ticket after coming third behind winners Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

If Zimbabwe succeed in hosting the AWC it would be the first time for the country to host a football event of such magnitude. Zimbabwe hosted the 2009 Cosafa Men’s Challenge and won the event while the Mighty Warriors also won the Cosafa title on home soil in July beating defending champions Banyana Banyana 1-0 at Rufaro.

The Chronicle

12 October 2011

Government has pledged meaningful support to Zifa so that the national team is thoroughly prepared and qualifies for future tournaments.

Speaking at a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the mother body and the parent ministry for grassroots development, Minister of Education, Sports and Culture David Coltart admitted that it has not been a smooth partnership between the two.

“Our relationship has not been a consistent well-planned relationship, but that must change. Government has a role to play. We are cognisant of Fifa rules not to be involved in the intricate details. I believe in the future we will not only qualify for Africa Cup of Nations but World Cup as well.

“The Ministry is determined to help Zifa but we simply have to develop strategy to ensure this magnificent tem qualifies in the future,” said Coltart.

The Minister added that the up coming football indaba scheduled for next month which will involve the ministry and all the stakeholders should map the way forward.

“I have been wanting to have the workshop for some time and happy we have agreed to have it by end of November. Then we will have the roadmap which will govern the relationship. I need to underscore this cannot be Government only. We need to get sponsors for the  national team,” said Coltart.

Coltart believes the Warriors with better travel arrangements could have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations.

“Had we been able to plan better as a nation we may have been able to perform better in Cape Verde. Because of the delays in organising flight tickets the team only came together 48 hours before the match and no team can be expected to perform well under such circumstances.

“The problems didn’t start in Cape Verde this weekend but goes back to last year when there was chaos with coaches. It affected the momentum we had created,” said Coltart.

Turning to the Fifa grassroots development programme, which will see the world governing body channelling out training equipment to primary schools, Coltart said the ministry would be supportive.

“I think this agreement is important. We will not explore the potential if we don’t start at grassroots. There has been in the past, a disconnection between Sports and Culture. And the key component is to integrate sports and culture and the Principal Director is pursuing the project which will complement the curriculum,” said Coltart.

Zimbabwe together with seven other African countries have been selected by Fifa for the pilot project which is meant to develop grassroot football.

And the mother body have been waiting for endorsement of the project by Government before distributing the equipment and resources to schools for the project meant for 6-12 year olds.

Zifa board member, Elliot Kasu said the project will involve teachers as well as parents.

“The pilot project will start in Harare before spreading to all ten provinces. Fifa will come in with the support via equipment and training programmes to teacher training in coaching and refereeing.

“It is targeting primary schools and there would much involvement of Naph, Nash and local authorities.

“We got the project because of the confidence Fifa now have in us. This can be seen by the visits we have been getting from Fifa, said Kasu.

Daily News

By Dakarai Mashava

12 October 2011

Harare - Sports Minister David Coltart has attributed the Warriors’ failure to qualify for the 2012 Africa Nations Cup (Afcon) to the bungling Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa).

Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the finals to be held in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea next year after finishing third in Group A behind Mali and Cape Verde respectively.

The Warriors fate was sealed with a 2-1 defeat away to Cape Verde last Saturday in a match the team was let down by some shambolic defending from captain Method Mwanjali.

Coltart was speaking during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Zifa and the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture in Harare yesterday.

“The problem didn’t occur in Cape Verde. It dates back to the build-up to the first game,” Coltart said.

“The chaos that surrounded the appointment of the coaches undermined the team. But having said that we need to learn and move on.”

Zifa took time to appoint a substantive coach after the resignation of Sunday Chidzambwa who quit to join South African top flight side Free State Stars.

After a lot of debate within the Zifa board, Belgian Tom Seintfiet was finally appointed, but the decision left a fractured board.

Seintfiet was, however, deported after working with the Warriors for only one day when Zifa failed to secure a work permit for him shortly before the home match against Cape Verde.

In the end Zifa appointed Norman Mapeza and Madinda Ndlovu as joint coaches for that match, which ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw at the National Sports Stadium.

Coltart added that he was happy that Zifa has finally agreed to hold an indaba of all football stakeholders that will look at the financing and administration of soccer.

“We simply have to get the financing of football better organised. There has to be a collaborative exercise by all stakeholders to ensure that football financing is put on a sound footing,” he said.

“We have to bring together all the stakeholders that drain football finances like city councils.

“The last minute panicking where Zifa has continually sought assistance from Government at the last minute must stop. Had we gone in camp at least two weeks earlier before the Cape Verde game, the team would have performed better.”

Chaos that surrounded the appointment of the coaches undermined the team.

Daily News

12 October 2011

It was eerily coincidental that as many parts of the country were washed with early rain last week, memories of another gukurahundi saw the light of day.

New evidence of what President Mugabe called “a moment of madness” have emerged in Matabeleland in the past few days. It was “a moment of madness” which occurred nearly 30 years ago in which an estimated 20 000 thousand men, women and children were slaughtered by the Fifth Brigade in the early 1980’s.

Most Zimbabweans and human rights organisations call this mass murder the Gukarahundi, a Shona word meaning the early rain that comes after threshing; the rain that washes the chaff away from the grain.

Thousands of victims of the Gukurahundi were dumped in mine shafts, shallow pits and mass graves in Matabeleland and the Midlands and there they have stayed for the last three decades.

The discovery last week of one of these mass graves, found in a school playground, has come as extremely disturbing news. Playing football at St Paul Secondary School in Lupane, students found human bones sticking up out of the ground where the soil had subsided, in two places.

It is impossible to imagine the shock and horror of the students or what their parents and teachers then had to tell them by way of explanation at their discovery.

The MDC Minister of National Healing, Moses Mzila Ndlovu said that local villagers in the area explained that St Paul and many other schools nearby were used by the Fifth Brigade as detention points in the early 1980’s.

The Minister said:“Dozens of people were detained, interrogated and executed before their bodies were dumped in mass graves dug up by the detainees.”

Mzila Ndlovu went on to describe the grave under the St Paul School football field as measuring 5 x 5 metres and thought to contain between thirty and sixty bodies.

The National Healing Minister talked about the need for people to be able to tell the story of what happened to their friends and relatives and decisions made about shrines, memorials and locations for reburials.

Mzila Ndlovu said forensic exhumations were essential and that counsellors and psychologists needed to be involved in order to help people deal with this terrible trauma.

Commenting on the grim discovery, Education Minister David Coltart said that there were numerous mass graves to be found in Matabeleland. He said the recent exposure at St Paul School highlighted the need for “a meaningful process of truth-telling and reconciliation.”

Minister Coltart said that archaeologists and anthropologists should be involved in the process of recovery and reburial of bodies from mass graves. He said local communities must be involved as these are the remains of their loved ones and that local customs, traditions and rituals needed to be observed.

Contacted by the Daily News for comment, President Mugabe’s spokesman, George Charamba, had a very different viewpoint to those given by Ministers Mzila Ndlovu and Coltart.

Asked to give the government’s position on the newly discovered mass grave under a school football field, Charamba said: “You are a crazy young man. President Mugabe said it was a moment of madness, that is all I can tell you.”

Thanks to Tel One’s vision in providing accessible broadband Internet connections, the facts and reports on the Gukurahundi can now be found with just two simple clicks on a computer keypad. Quicker than it takes to type the words “a moment of madness,” anyone can now find and read of a mass murder that remains a festering wound in the heart of our nation 30 years after it happened.

Zimbabwean Rugby interviews David Coltart

12 October 2011

1. Do you think the instability of Zimbabwe as a nation has contributed to elite Zimbabwean-born rugby players turning out for other countries (E.G. David Pocock with Australia, Tendai Mtawarira for South Africa)? I think it is partly the instability but mainly because we have not professionalised the sport in Zimbabwe – of course that is directly linked to the economic collapse the country has suffered in the last 10 years.

2. One criticism of the Zimbabwean rugby system is that there’s no gateway for emerging players. In South Africa they have high-school, Craven Week, Vodacom Cup, Currie Cup, Sevens and Super Rugby before they reach Springbok level. Are there any moves to create a system similar to this in Zimbabwe? There are moves to resuscitate club rugby and to try to get Zimbabwe playing in one of the lower leagues in SA – with the idea being that we can then progress with the hope that one day we will play Currie Cup again.

3. All things considered, it’s a great achievement that the Zimbabwe Under-20 boys have qualified for the 2012 IRB Junior Rugby World Trophy. Did this surprise you – and if so why – or were you always quietly confident? I was not surprised because our schoolboy rugby is still very strong – I think the strongest in Africa outside of SA itself – the Cottco tournament held every may is one of the largest schoolboy tournaments in the world. Our problem is that we have not been able to retain this schoolboy talent which has gone on to benefit other Nations.

4. How do you anticipate the Under 20 boys will go at the 2012 IRB Junior Rugby World Trophy? Are you expecting them to compete for silverware? If you look at our performances this year against Canada, Russia, Georgia etc you will see that although we lost we were not far off their standard. I think we will become increasingly competitive – it may too early to expect silverware next year but it will come our way in the next few years.

5. In your opinion, what resources are needed to improve the state of Zimbabwean rugby as a whole? Is there a need for more professional coaches? Fundamentally we need the national economy to recover so that commercial sponsors will come back. Without that sponsorship we cannot retain players. Of course we also need professional coaches which is an areas of weakness at present. Jake White was in Zimbabwe recently and when I met him he was deeply concerned about the poor standard of coaching in Zimbabwe, certainly at schoolboy level. He comment was that we have immense talent which is not being exploited properly.

6. The Zimbabwe Sables senior rugby side is currently ranked #35 in the world. As we move towards the 2015 Rugby World Cup, do you think there’s a big possibility Zimbabwe could feature at this event? Zimbabwe should play regularly at the World Cup. I would argue that at schoolboy level we have much more depth than Namibia – if we can keep these youngsters and coach them more professionally we should easily be able to outperform Namibia in future and make the second African slot our own.

7. What are some issues currently halting the development of Rugby in Zimbabwe and what moves are being made to overcome these? Our major problem is finance which I have spoken about already. We need to get the correct government policies in place before the economy will fully recover – when that happens a lot of other things will fall into place.

8. Do you think people like Pocock and Mtawarira inspire younger Zimbabweans who play rugby to continue with the game? Would you say it proves they can make it and have a profound impact on the game professionally? There is no doubt that Pocock, Mtawarira and Ngwenya (who plays for the US) are inspirational  – along with the many other who play club and provincial rugby in other nations to a very high standard. If we were able to choose a select side of all those who learnt the game in Zimbabwe we would be able to compete at Currie Cup level even now. That reminds youngsters that we do have that potential.

9. Do you keep a keen eye on Zimbabweans who are professional rugby players abroad? I do but at present it hard to attract them back because we simply cannot compete with the contracts they have at present.

10. In ten years time, where would you like to see Zimbabwean rugby to be overall in terms of progress? If we can settle the country politically it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Zimbabwe could be back playing Currie Cup and regularly qualifying for the World Cup in 10 years time. Our ultimate goal must be to try to field a side that could play Super Rugby. We will never of course be as strong as the top Rugby nations but there is no reason why we should not aspire to play at the same level as say Italy. We used to be far better than Romania and the depth of our schoolboy rugby should enable us to get back up there.

Financial Gazette

By Ray Ndlovu

12 October 2011

BULAWAYO – As signs indicate Zimbabwe could be headed for fresh polls in March or the third quarter of 2012, the country’s second largest city has emerged as an important centre of an intense power struggle among the country’s four main political parties as they jostle for the political hearts and minds of the residents of Matabeleland.

There is a school of thought that the next polls could be decided in Matabeleland, particularly Bulawayo, the region’s commercial capital, presently reeling from perceived de-industrialisation and deliberate marginalisation.

ZANU-PF, which surrendered the entire Bulawayo constituency and large parts of Matabeleland in 2000 to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formation led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, is seen using the party’s annual December conference slatted for the city as its launch pad for the fresh polls.

The MDC-T, which has maintained an octopus-like grip on the city, has recently been all over Bulawayo and its hinterland to ensure it secures a clean sweep in the next polls.

MDC officials say they are geared to grab all the contested seats in Bulawayo and the entire Matabeleland region this time around. The party recently launched its provincial election campaign for next’s year’s presidential polls.

Not to be outdone has been Tsvangirai’s nemesis, Welshman Ncube, leader of the MDC who has initiated weekly rallies in Bulawayo and the rest of the Matabeleland region.

The revived ZAPU is also vigorously marketing itself: It has stated its intention of fielding candidates in all the constituencies in the region.

ZAPU, like the MDC-T, held its congress in Bulawayo last year in August as the party sought to establish a political base.

Political players in the region and analysts say there were strong signals that Bulawayo has become a vital match-maker and a source of votes ahead of the elections.

Methuseli Moyo, the ZAPU spokesperson, said there was definitely a scramble for Matabeleland, claiming the region has become strategic.

He said every political party now recognised that Bulaw-ayo could either make or break their ambitions.

“No political party can afford any longer to ignore Bulawayo and that is why we have also seen ZANU-PF speedily moving into the region,” said Moyo.

With a host of problems already besetting Matabel-eland that include; a crippling drought in Matabeleland South, the massive de-industrialisation of Bulawayo and the ongoing emotive debate on the 1980’s Gukurahundi atrocities, political observers see Bulawayo as “providing fodder” for intense electioneering.

Nearly 87 companies have shut down in Bulawayo since 2010 and an estimated 20 000 workers were affected by the closures.

Votes in the second city are likely to be swayed by the competing parties’ ability to address the scale of Bulawayo’s economic stagnation.

At its December conference, ZANU-PF is seen leaning on its indigenisation programme to garner votes in Bulawayo.

Isaac Dakamela, the ZANU-PF provincial chairperson, said the party was ready to reclaim the city in the next polls, adding that the conference in Bulawayo would be an eye-opener for the residents of the city.

“We look forward to the December conference as it will be an eye opener to people and will make the party more visible ahead of elections. The company closures in the city are a result of sanctions, but ZANU-PF through the indigenisation (programme) will revive industries,” said Dakamela.

Absalom Sikhosana, the ZANU-PF national secretary for youth affairs, a resident of the city, added his voice on the issue.

“As youths, our mission is to peacefully mobilise and vote for ZANU-PF during next year’s elections. Once ZANU-PF is out of power there is no indigenisation to talk about,” he said.

Bulawayo East MDC-T legislator, Tabitha Khumalo, said the premier’s party was not resting on its laurels and was working hard to consolidate its stranglehold of the city and its hinterland.

“Voters from Bulawayo are loyal and they are known to stand firmly on a political decision that is why politicians are scrambling into the region. It’s unfortunate that ZANU-PF is trying to use the empowerment issue to hoodwink voters from Bulawayo. It is because of ZANU-PF’s failure to address the long-standing concerns that Bulawayo has had for the past 31 years that has resulted in the stagnation of the city,” said the outspoken MDC-T legislator.

Listed as part of the region’s concerns are the 1980’s Gukurahundi killings, which the opposition parties are coalescing around to stoke tensions against ZANU-PF in the upcoming elections and cause an upset at the polls.

As noted by a recent WikiLeaks 2009 diplomatic cable by United States envoy, Charles Ray, the Matabeleland region has “distrust and hatred” for President Mugabe’s ZANU-PF as a result of Gukurahundi.

Ambassador Ray said: “We were surprised that 31 years after Gukurahundi, many of our interlocutors continue to refer to it with seemingly fresh anger and bitterness at wounds that were never healed.

“Apart from the pain of the loss of loved ones, they remember that security officials refused to allow many families to hold memorial ceremonies for their relatives who were killed in Gukur-ahundi.”

The MDC-T has now promised to compensate all the victims of political violence and also deal with the Gukurahundi issue as it seeks to gain political mileage out of it.

In the 2008 elections, the MDC-T won all of the city’s 12 House of Assembly seats, six of the seven Senate seats and 26 of the 29 councillors in the Bulawayo City Council.

The Ncube-led MDC has one senator; David Coltart and three councillors.

While ZANU-PF’s presence in Bulawayo has not been magnified, the party is said to be strategising behind closed doors at Davies Hall, the provincial headquarters of the party in the city.
The take-over of disused city buildings and other properties owned by whites and residents of Asian origin are seen as part of ZANU-PF’s strategy to lure the youths to its fold. Nhlanhla Dube, the spokesperson for the MDC, said the party’s visibility on the ground was well-documented in Matabeleland, saying the green colours of the party were everywhere in the region.

“We are not moved by perceptions that our rallies are a flop. How do you explain the defections from MDC-T to our party in recent months? To us, it is a sign of popularity of the MDC that we are doing the right things,” said Dube.

But despite what is perceived by observers as a vigorous attempt by the MDC to push into Bulawayo and the Matabeleland region through its weekly rallies, Khumalo of the MDC-T said: “Ncube is not a threat and we are not worried by all his attempts to win voters.”

ZAPU has also laid into the MDC strategy to canvass for votes in the city and the region, describing his party’s weekly rallies as “panic signs”.

Newsday

By Kevin Mapasure

12 October 2011

After successfully hosting the Cosafa Women’s tournament coupled with the senior national team’s success on the continent, Zifa has been offered a chance to host the African Women’s Championships next year.

Zifa board member (finance) Elliot Kasu announced at a Press conference on Tuesday that they had received an offer letter from Confederation of African Football (Caf) to stage the continental showcase in October next year.

According to him, Caf in that letter outlined the requirements which include a government guarantee and promised to give Zimbabwe the right to host bigger African tournaments such as the men’s version — if they do well on this one.

“To show their appreciation and confidence in the current administration, they have written to us offering us the opportunity to host the Caf women’s tournament,” said Kasu.

“This is also because of the way we staged the Cosafa tournament, which was a success.”

Minister of Education, Arts, Sports and Culture, David Coltart, who was at the same function made a promise that the government would take up the offer.

“We will wait for formal comunication on that, but it is government policy that we should host such events so that we improve the image of the country and improve tourism.”

The qualifiers of next year’s finals are set for January next year, but if Zifa can get a government guarantee and take up the offer, the Mighty Warriors, who are the reigning Cosafa champions, will be spared the qualifying phase as hosts.

The Press briefing witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Zifa and the ministry over a Fifa project to develop football at the grassroots.

Zimbabwe is one of eight African countries that will benefit from a project that will see Fifa invest in primary schools, targeting the 6-12-year age group.

Schools will benefit from financial resources, equipment and training that will be provided by Fifa.

Zimbabwe is one of eight countries that will start getting support as the programme gets underway.