Newsday

By Nqobile Bhebhe

27 October 2011

Government has entered into a joint venture with a leading global information technology company, Apple, to distribute solar-powered iPads to remote rural schools in Zimbabwe .

The programme is part of efforts to reduce the digital divide between the rural and urban areas in the country.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart, who is currently in Europe, announced the development yesterday via his Facebook page.

“Great meeting with Apple today in Paris (French capital) — unveiled a fascinating new ‘School Box’ which will take iPads to the most remote rural schools – using solar power and micro projectors we will be able to bring computerised teaching aids to the poorest schools. I hope we will get the first pilot programmes started early next year,” he wrote on his page.

“I am very excited that Zimbabwe is collaborating with Apple in this groundbreaking use of technology to advance education in the most remote schools. If we can get it to work in Zimbabwe I am sure it will spread to poor schools throughout Africa – and beyond.”

Students in developed nations use the sleek tablets to develop reports, conduct research, read e-books and study.

iPads can also be connected to a projector and easily share a multi-media presentation.

Most rural schools in Zimbabwe lack basic infrastructure and several computers donated by President Robert Mugabe as part of his rural computerisation programme have either been stolen or remained unused due to absence of electricity.

Please note: The press unfortunately have read too much into my comment. I need to stress that there is no agreement with Apple but we would like to use iPad technology and we are in discussions in this regard. Furthermore the “School box” concept is being run by the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) in Dublin.  – David Coltart

ZimEye

27 October 2011

Zimbabwe’s rural schools are set to receive expensive iPads for the delivery of education services, David Coltart, the Minister of Education, Sports and Culture has said.

Coltart who is in Paris attending the 33rd UNESCO General Conference said Zimbabwe is collaborating with Apple in this groundbreaking use of technology to advance education in the most remote schools.

The iPads will be powered by revolutionary solar-power which the Apple company is also facilitating.

In line with this resolution the Zimbabwean delegation led by the Minister managed to create a facility from the Apple company in Paris - where the company unveiled a fascinating new “School Box” which will take iPads to the most remote rural schools – using solar power and micro projectors we will be able to bring computerised teaching aids to the poorest schools.

“I am confident we will be one of the first to benefit from a pilot program to be started early next year. I am very excited that Zimbabwe is collaborating with Apple in this ground breaking use of technology to advance education in the most remote schools. If we can get it to work in Zimbabwe I am sure it will spread to poor schools throughout Africa – and beyond,” the ecstatic Hon Coltart said.

Minister David Coltart who is also the MDC secretary for legal affairs is a minister in the Government of National Unity credited for bringing up the education system that had collapsed due to economic mismanagement by the Zanu PF regime.

Minister Coltart in his tenure has managed to source textbooks for all schools in Zimbabwe on a one textbook per student ratio, an unprecedented achievement in post independence Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwean rural schools lack basic infrastructure and several computers donated by President Robert Mugabe as part of his rural computerisation programme have either been stolen or remained unused due to absence of electricity.

This development comes after a few weeks ago when the Minister of Trade, Industry and International Trade Prof Welshman Ncube who is also the MDC President managed to raise $40 million from the government for the Bulawayo Industries.

Zimbabwe’s rural schools are set to receive expensive iPads for the delivery of education services, David Coltart, the Minister of Education, Sports and Culture has said.

Coltart who is in Paris attending the 33rd UNESCO General Conference said Zimbabwe is collaborating with Apple in this groundbreaking use of technology to advance education in the most remote schools.

The iPads will be powered by revolutionary solar-power which the Apple company is also facilitating.

In line with this resolution the Zimbabwean delegation led by the Minister managed to create a facility from the Apple company in Paris - where the company unveiled a fascinating new “School Box” which will take iPads to the most remote rural schools – using solar power and micro projectors we will be able to bring computerised teaching aids to the poorest schools.

“I am confident we will be one of the first to benefit from a pilot program to be started early next year. I am very excited that Zimbabwe is collaborating with Apple in this ground breaking use of technology to advance education in the most remote schools. If we can get it to work in Zimbabwe I am sure it will spread to poor schools throughout Africa – and beyond,” the ecstatic Hon Coltart said.

Minister David Coltart who is also the MDC secretary for legal affairs is a minister in the Government of National Unity credited for bringing up the education system that had collapsed due to economic mismanagement by the Zanu PF regime.

Minister Coltart in his tenure has managed to source textbooks for all schools in Zimbabwe on a one textbook per student ratio, an unprecedented achievement in post independence Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwean rural schools lack basic infrastructure and several computers donated by President Robert Mugabe as part of his rural computerisation programme have either been stolen or remained unused due to absence of electricity.

This development comes after a few weeks ago when the Minister of Trade, Industry and International Trade Prof Welshman Ncube who is also the MDC President managed to raise $40 million from the government for the Bulawayo Industries.

Please note: The press unfortunately have read too much into my comment. I need to stress that there is no agreement with Apple but we would like to use iPad technology and we are in discussions in this regard. Furthermore the “School box” concept is being run by the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) in Dublin. – David Coltart

Zimbabwe Guardian

27 October 2011

Teachers hаvе many problems, the newest being a unilateral choice bу ѕοmе Zimra officers thаt thеіr incentive payments, trivial аѕ thеу аrе, form taxable income and that therefore thеу аrе accountable fοr presumptive tax tο bе deducted frοm thеіr salaries.

Minister οf Culture, Sport, Arts аnԁ Culture David Coltart, whο іѕ outside hіѕ public life, a lawyer, believes thаt thіѕ іѕ аn incorrect reading οf thе Public Service аnԁ taxation set οf laws, meaning thаt here іѕ room fοr line οf reasoning аnԁ debate οn thе topic.

More worryingly, іt appears thаt thе сhοісе tο assume teachers incentives fall within thе definition οf a fastidious type οf taxable income thаt allows presumptive taxes tο bе levied аѕ a payroll tax, wаѕ taken lacking аnу consultation wіth thе culture ministry οr thе teachers unions.

It seems tο υѕ here аrе two legal points tο bе settled: first аrе thе incentives taxable income, аnԁ οnƖу thеn саn legal opinion bе sought аѕ tο whether thеу аrе thе sort οf contract taxable income thаt саn bе taxed through deductions οn salaries.

Here seems tο bе room tο doubt even thе first point, аt Ɩеаѕt οn thе grounds οf equity.

Thе incentives come frοm parents, аnԁ therefore hаνе already bееn taxed when thе parents’ incomes wеrе taxed. Exhausting thеm a second time сοuƖԁ bе seen аѕ dual taxation.

Parents indeed саnnοt deduct school fees, school levies οr incentive payments frοm thеіr taxable income. Sο unlike payments mаԁе bу companies οr corporations, whісh сουƖԁ bе regarded аѕ salaries аnԁ whісh come out οf pretax income, incentives аnԁ аƖƖ οthеr payments tο schools come out οf post-tax income, аnԁ Zimra already hаѕ іtѕ share.

Objections tο thе second issue, whether Zimra саn levy presumptive taxes аnԁ hаνе thеѕе deducted frοm teachers’ Government salaries, seem tο rest οn even stronger grounds.

It hаѕ bееn mаԁе clear thаt incentive payments аrе a temporary measure, thаt here іѕ nο fixed figure laid down, аnԁ thаt here іѕ nο guarantee thаt thеу wіƖƖ bе mаԁе next month, nοr аt whаt level іf thеу wеrе paid. Nο teacher сουƖԁ sue іf thеу wеrе nοt paid аn incentive, аnԁ іn fact tens οf thousands οf teachers аrе nοt paid incentives.

Even іf legal opinion eventually comes tο thе conclusion thаt incentives аrе taxable, аnԁ thаt сhοісе mіɡht well hаνе tο remain іn doubt until thе courts hаνе heard a test case, іt appears thаt аnу taxes wουƖԁ hаνе tο bе deducted bу thе schools аnԁ thаt аƖƖ teachers іn receipt οf such payments wοuƖԁ hаνе tο submit annual tax returns fοr a final assessment.

Wе recognise thаt Zimra hаѕ thе legal duty tο hunt down аƖƖ taxable income earned bу everyone. Sο nο one саn nag thаt Zimra hаѕ raised thе issue.

Bυt thе way іt hаѕ bееn done stinks.

Indeed, fοr a upset thаt affects ѕο many people аnԁ іѕ open tο a variety οf interpretations, thе rіɡht path wουƖԁ hаνе bееn tο involve thе culture ministry frοm thе very beginning.

At thіѕ thе boards legal advice сουƖԁ hаνе bееn sought frοm thе Attorney General аnԁ іf here wаѕ still doubt аn urgent test case сουƖԁ hаνе bееn argued before thе High Court.

ShοuƖԁ Zimra bе thе winner οn one οr both іtѕ submissions, thеn іt аnԁ thе culture ministry, wіth thе Ministry οf Public Service involved аѕ well, сοuƖԁ work out a suitable procedure fοr revealing аnԁ reporting thе actual incentives paid, аnԁ a suitable way fοr thе calculated tax οn those sums tο bе paid, еіthеr through a withholding tax οr through a direct deduction, whісh wοuƖԁ change monthly, οn teachers salaries.

Zimra wοuƖԁ benefit frοm such аn deal wіth ѕіnсе thе legal issues wουƖԁ hаνе bееn resolved іn advance аnԁ thе application οf thе law wουƖԁ bе a topic fοr thе culture ministry tο enforce, rаthеr thаn hаνе odd tax officers wandering around threatening headmasters whο ԁο nοt know whеrе thеу stand.

Perhaps thе time іѕ approaching whereby thе total incentive system needs tο bе formalised аnԁ thе legal issues sorted out.

Incentives fοr teachers wеrе permitted tο solve three critical problems. Teachers wеrе leaving thе profession οr emigrating tο οthеr countries whеrе trained Zimbabwean teachers аrе valued vastly.

School-leavers wіth high levels οf academic attainment wеrе rejecting thе profession bесаuѕе іt seemed ѕο poorly paid іn Zimbabwe.

Anԁ finally those teachers whο remained іn thеіr posts wеrе having tο run private businesses, іf οnƖу selling chickens аnԁ vegetables tο each οthеr, tο mаkе ends meet; thе children wеrе nοt getting thе 100 percent attention thеу deserved аѕ a result.

Thе intention frοm thе very beginning wаѕ thаt thеѕе incentives wοuƖԁ bе reduced аnԁ eventually eliminated аѕ teachers’ pay rose. Thе money going οn incentives сοuƖԁ thеn bе reassigned tο οthеr school expenses tο upgrade facilities.

Wе hаνе suggested before thаt incentives ѕhοuƖԁ bе paid out οf levies bу thе School Development Association, rаthеr thаn bу parents directly tο teachers. Thіѕ wοuƖԁ eliminate one potential abuse, thаt teachers knowing whο hаѕ paid wіƖƖ give more time tο thе children οf thе paying parents.

SDAs саn legally enforce levy agreements. Such a system wοuƖԁ аƖѕο, іf Zimra wins іtѕ battles, ensure thаt here wаѕ a monthly list οf whο wаѕ paid whаt.

Bυt wе now hope thаt Zimra, ѕhοuƖԁ іt wish tο pursue thе topic, аѕ іt іѕ entitled tο ԁο ѕο, wіƖƖ ѕtοр thе ad-hoc methods ѕο far employed, engage thе culture аnԁ public service ministries, sort out thе legal issues аnԁ, іf іt іѕ found thаt incentives аrе taxable income, work out thе fairest way οf assessing аnԁ raising those taxes.

Zimra іѕ normally caring, аnԁ wіƖƖ hеƖр taxpayers calculate thе minimum thеу need pay, аnԁ thаt helpfulness needs tο bе carried over tο іtѕ dealings wіth thе tens οf thousands whο receive incentives.

The Herald

By Felex Share 

27 October 2011

Some teachers getting incentives from parents had presumptive tax deducted from their salaries this month. Government  sources said only incentives from the Public Service Commission were tax-free. Teachers’ unions said Zimbabwe Revenue Authority officials argued that incentives were double pay and had to be taxed.

The educators say Zimra officials were working with the Salary Services Bureau to deduct the money. Zimra officials are reportedly working with headmasters who recommend names of teachers receiving the incentives.

Zimra spokesperson Mr Canisio Mudzimu did not respond to questions sent to him yesterday, while Zimra Commissioner General Mr Gershem Pasi’s phone went unanswered.

According to the Public Service Act, if a Government worker gets a supplementary salary, that person should declare the money for taxation.  Presumptive tax is an amount levied on an organisation or an individual’s profit at a prescribed percentage.

In a telephone interview from France where he is attending a Unesco General Assembly yesterday, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart confirmed receiving complaints from teachers.

He said the teachers were not double contracted because incentives were not salaries. “The matter has been brought to me before, but from a legal point of view, what they (Zimra) are doing is illegal,” he said. “An incentive is not a salary but a token of appreciation by parents, which is not taxable. This could be a racket that senior officials at Zimra might not be aware of and I am going to raise the matter with them.”

Deputy Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Lazarus Dokora yesterday said Zimra mooted the plan to tax teachers last year. He said Zimra’s argument was that the tax threshhold for teachers receiving incentives differed from those not receiving extra payments.

“We are aware that Zimra has been trying to tax teachers. They attempted it in schools in the northern region (Harare) and Mutare last year.  “These are some of the implications we warned of during meetings over incentives. If the incentives were effected by the PSC, they would be tax-free,” he said.

Teachers unions said their members in Masvingo, Midlands and Matabeleland provinces were the ones worst affected by the tax deductions. Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Mr Takavafira Zhou yesterday said they had received numerous reports from their members over the matter.

“The teachers are told they flouted the law for the past year and it constitutes a criminal case,” he said. “A good example is that of Victoria Primary School in Masvingo, where the headmaster refused to release the names (of teachers getting incentives). The officials are moving around basing on the Public Service regulations but it is not fair because to us an incentive is only an honorarium,” he said.

Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe chief executive Mr Manuel Nyawo said it was “cruel to tax incentives”. “Our members are already suffering and parents are giving these small gifts and that is what they want to take away,” he said. “The police should look out for these officials as we have a belief that they might not be genuine Zimra officials but bogus ones working in cahoots with SSB,” he said.

Zimbabwe Teachers Association chief executive Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said the union was still to get a full briefing from their field officers. He, however, said incentives were not equitable and sustainable and should not be taxed.

“What would they do in areas where one is getting maize and domestic animals as incentives,” he said. “Someone should intervene to save the already suffering teacher who is failing to make ends meet.”

Of late there have been meetings between teachers and their employer on whether to terminate the incentives or not.

• How to take tea and turn the tables on Mugabe – http://t.co/urhUVsNN – Opinion http://t.co/PyAwFyNB #
• Having a wonderful time with @Zimjinks #
• Just finished 3 days looking at UK Academies – good lessons learnt as I try to establish academies for talented disadvantaged #Zimbabweans #
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The Herald

21 October 2011

The Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture has expressed its condolences to the Moyo family and the nation at large following the death of sungura musician Tongai Moyo last Saturday.

Minister David Coltart said Zimbabwe had been robbed of an iconic and illustrious artiste who put the country on the music map through his meaningful compositions.

“(We) join the nation in mourning the loss of a cultural icon of the music industry. Tongai was one of the most illustrious and mega-entertainers in the music industry in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Minister Coltart noted the immense contribution that Tongai Moyo and others in the music industry at large, made towards the country’s Gross Domestic Product through employment creation.

“The Ministry recognises the great work that our musicians do in contributing to job creation and GDP. Tongai had an 18-member band in addition to many others who were in administration. Tongai did his part to popularise sungura music, create jobs for several people and left behind an army of fans that will miss him for years to come,” he said.

He commended Media, Information and Publicity Minister Webster Shamu’s call for the establishment of a “Hall of Fame” for local artists so that their contribution to the nation will be cherished for posterity.

“The Zimbabwe Union of Musicians patron, Cde Webster Shamu, has expressed a deeply-felt need for a tangible space for honouring our cultural and artistic heroes,” he said.

The Chronicle

19 October 2011

Financially troubled Zifa are eagerly awaiting a football stakeholders indaba that is being convened by the Government which they believe could be the first major step towards getting the local fraternity to appreciate the challenges being faced by the domestic game.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart will convene the meeting early next month, which will bring together all the stakeholders with a view to finding lasting solutions to all the problems afflicting local football.

Coltart has acknowledged the need for Government to step in and support Zifa in their revival mission with the minister also noting that the local game was struggling from lack of sustainable funding.

There has been a slow pace of financial injection from the corporate world for football, which has left a number of individuals to make personal sacrifices to keep local clubs going.

A number of clubs have either folded or are battling to survive in a tough operating environment that has left them literally operating on a hand-to-mouth basis and even left some of the club directors with huge debts.

“The focus of the indaba is to look at financing of football, seeing what we can do as a Government and the private sector to ensure that football is on a viable and sound footing,” Coltart said

The minister also reckoned that “football needs to be depoliticised so that we leave it to people who are better placed to run the game and have the passion to run the sport.”

Coltart also said he discussed with Zifa and the Sport and Recreation Commission that the game needs a fresh impetus.

But as the date for the indaba draws nearer, Zifa have embraced the Government’s initiative with the association’s president Cuthbert Dube revealing that they were eagerly awaiting an opportunity to come face to face with the relevant stakeholders in the game.

“We have agreed as Zifa to be part of the minister’s indaba and we would like to thank Minister Coltart for his initiative because we believe this presents a platform where the critical issues can be discussed.

“All the teams in the country just need to be assisted, it is not just about the Warriors, I think it is at that indaba the nation will appreciate the challenges that Zifa has been facing,” Dube said.

The Zifa president has since assuming office in March last year been preaching a gospel of transparency within the game’s structures.

Dube believes that for local football to earn the respect of the Government, the corporate world, the media, players, coaches and the fans, its administrative wing would have to show transparency in the manner that the game is run at all levels.

Dube also noted that part of Zifa’s bid to improve their administration of the game was being pegged back by a flawed constitution what has a lot of conflicting clauses which could literally make the game ungovernable.

“We have since asked the Zifa board to propose the names of a few members who can make up the constitutional review committee that should work on amending our constitution.

“The constitution should be the Bible and some of the problems we are having in Zifa are a result of a skewed constitution and that committee will work round the clock to amend the constitution so that we do away with the flaws in it.

“There will be no Zifa board member on that committee because we want it to be a transparent process,” Dube said.

Dube also said his board had taken a keen interest in the final countdown to the championship races in the Premier Soccer League and the Division One leagues.

The Herald 

By Felex Share

19 October 2011

Some teachers’ unions yesterday walked out of a meeting to discuss the incentives they are being paid by parents.

The meeting was nearly aborted, but some delegates continued with deliberations and agreed that the incentives will be scrapped when Government awards teachers a “reasonable salary increment” in the 2012 National Budget.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti presents the budget in Parliament next month.

The parties agreed that Government should introduce an education allowance that will standardise incentives if it fails to award salary increases above the Poverty Datum Line.

The PDL currently stands at US$502.

The meeting was attended by Education, Sport, Arts and Culture officials, provincial education directors from across Zimbabwe, representatives of the National Association of School Heads, the National Association of Primary Heads, School Development Associations and representatives from mission schools.

According to sources, divisions erupted during the meeting with heated arguments between the Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe and the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe.

PTUZ wanted incentives scrapped, while TUZ wanted them to stay.

PTUZ secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe walked out of the meeting while TUZ chief executive Mr Manuel Nyawo only returned to the meeting after an intervention by Government officials.

Mr Majongwe said there was “nothing new” about tempers flaring during meetings.

“Tempers flare everywhere even in Parliament. The reason for the walkout was because some of our colleagues particularly TUZ wanted to talk about things which were not on the agenda and we couldn’t tolerate that,” he said.

“Moreover, I wanted to attend Tongai Moyo’s funeral and I am already in Kwekwe as I speak”

He said there was however, need for the unions to pressure Government for decent salary increments.

“We cannot continue burdening the parents who are failing to make ends meet. There are more than 207 court cases because of the incentives and how can you continue with such a divisive policy?” he said.

Mr Nyawo acknowledged the disturbances, but called for “a gradual exit” on the issue.

He said the 2012 National Budget would determine the way forward.

“We hope the budget will bring something for the teachers. Failure to do that means there should be an education allowance, which will also cover the auxiliary staff, including DEOs (district education officers).”

Mr Nyawo however, said they would turn to parents if Government fails to award reasonable increments.

Zimbabwe Teachers Association chief executive Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said incentives can only be compensated in monetary terms from Government.

“It is going to be a gradual process. We have realised that incentives are a tolerable evil whose lifespan hinges on Government efforts in addressing our plight,” he said.

He also confirmed the walkout.

“There was a heated debate, but you cannot solve chaos by creating another chaos.”

The incentives issue has created divisions between parents and school heads.

Last month, parents and pupils assaulted the headmaster at Victoria High School over incentives.

No comment could be obtained from Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart as his mobile phone was not reachable.

The minister recently convened a meeting after union leaders blamed him for crafting a policy that brought “mayhem” to the education sector.

The Zimbabwean

By Leona Mwavera

VOA

By Chris Ganda and Tatenda Gumbo

19 October 2011

Teachers in urban schools receive between $150 and $400 in incentives depending on their schools, plus a monthly salary of more than $300 from the government, but most rural teachers are not being paid incentives.

Zimbabwean teachers unions and the government have agreed to seek introduction of an education allowance to replace informal incentives parents now pay teachers.

The resolution to phase out incentives to be replaced with an official mechanism was the outcome of a meeting on Tuesday between Education Minister David Coltart, provincial education directors, school development associations and teachers unions.

The Progressive Teachers Union, which has described the incentives as divisive, wants them scrapped. But the Teachers Union of Zimbabwe wants them to be continued.

Zimbabwe Teachers Association Chief Executive Officer Sifiso Ndlovu said that despite such differences the meeting was productive.

Ndlovu said teachers and the ministry resolved to re-introduce a rural allowance and an education levy that will fund the substitute for incentives.

Sources said union leaders blamed Coltart for maintaining the incentive policy that had produced inequality and dissatisfaction among teachers in rural areas who say they do not receive such payments, while many parents say they cannot afford the payments.

Teachers in urban schools receive between $150 and $400 in incentives depending on their schools, plus a monthly salary of more than $300 from the government.

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry says private colleges must comply with government regulations or risk being shut down. The ministry says private colleges need to work with others in the educational field to make sure they are operating at a high level.

News reports say the government this year closed 124 private colleges and independent training institutions and de-registered 31 others after finding them sub-standard.

Technical and vocational colleges have become more popular with young Zimbabweans, but the ministry voices concern about the promotion of non-formal education.

It says some colleges have exploited families and students without delivering value.

Director Maxwell Rafomoyo of the Education Coalition of Zimbabwe said the sprouting of such institutions reflects the decline of the country’s formal education sector. He said the institutions must work with the ministry as they are a necessary alternative for youth.