Newsday

By Stanley Makombe

21 July 2011

The Asiagate match-fixing scandal that has been unearthed by the new Zifa administration is indeed a milestone achievement in bringing sanity to local football.

I must applaud the new administration for taking this stance which is not usually easy. They have lived up to the saying “new brooms sweep clean”.

It will breathe new life into the manner our football is administered by changing the mindset of local administrators while instilling confidence in sponsors.

However, in the midst of all these positive comments also comes questions whether the new administration is not going to lose focus in their day-to-day business and most importantly, on a strategy that counters the causes of such misdemeanours.

I am not qualified to go deeper into the Asiagate scandal itself and my comments are largely going to touch on what l believe is the way forward for the new administration.

I believe that it is paramount for the new administration to simultaneously invest their energies in a commercialisation model which attracts partners that pour money into the system.

The strategy must have a fourfold magnitude in drive, depth and publicity in order to redirect stakeholders’ and supporters’ perception about the business of the new administration and their vision. I think you will all agree with me that the causes of all these scandals are clear for all to see.

With the football association always broke, it goes without saying that most staff members who are employed in football associations in Africa are not paid enough and the temptation of using their office to make money to survive is ever-present.

In real terms the commercialisation approach will seek to manage football as a profit entity, to secure funding for the association.

South Africa managed to adopt a commercialisation model that makes it the richest league in Africa, making it possible for them to attract the best players from Africa and even a few players from Europe.

This is not an event but a process that requires commitment and consistency in order to reap the rewards.

Central to a commercialisation model is the association’s realisation that they are not just managing football, but a brand that attracts sponsors whose interest is to sell their brands using football.

This realisation is very key to understand as it naturally instils discipline and plants a seed of accountability in the actions of the association.

The association should constantly be aware that it may cost them to lose partners who pour money into funding their structures and budgets.

This is very important to know as many football institutions seem to always think that sponsors are donors!

No, they are not donors as they only provide funds from their marketing budgets to promote their brands to their targeted markets, which means they have set objectives which must be achieved after the sponsorship.

Sponsors always find it easy and acceptable to sponsor institutions with proper management structures as compared to one- man-band organisations.

If there is a sound structure, then issues of budgets naturally come into play.

The benefits of employing experienced and qualified staff that I alluded to earlier becomes relevant as the so-called football greats may not have the knowhow to professionally handle such matters.

It is for this reason that today in Zimbabwe cricket, tennis and rugby attract bigger multi-sectoral sponsorship deals as they employ professional staff who can present convincing sponsorship proposals.

The football association can secure funding through selling their TV rights, touchline advertising rights, the Warriors brand, royalties on shirt sales, gate takings and sponsorship income.

Commercialisation was adopted long ago in Europe, Asia, South America, Australia and in African countries such as South Africa and Egypt.

Within the last few years Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Kenya and Zambia have also joined the bandwagon of commercialising football.

Local football has been like a woman who has been pregnant for three years and still can’t give birth.

Our local talent is too good to play for passion only while other countries like South Africa make big money out of our talent.

I believe this is the opportune time to deal with this ghost that has been hounding our football for so long at a time when the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture is agreeing to deal with the challenge of local authorities charging 20% of gate takings.

It is the opportune time when the responsible minister, David Coltart, has scheduled a football indaba following the recent visit by Fifa President Joseph Sepp Blatter to brainstorm on why local football cannot make profit.

Indeed, it is the most appropriate time when our women’s national team recently did us proud by winning the Cosafa Trophy after which President Robert Mugabe confirmed that the government needs to do more for local sports.

Surely, there is no special reason why the Zambian and Kenyan football leagues would attract SuperSport coverage ahead of ours when we have more talent.

I do believe commercialisation can indeed inject lifeblood into local football and benefit the national football association, clubs, officials and even the supporters.

In a match situation, coaches believe that the best way to defend is by attacking and I also believe the best way to deal with the causes of match-fixing after successfully exposing the scandals is by way of commercialising the game.

Stanley Makombe is a sports consultant with New Century Associates Email: stanley@newcenturyassociates.biz

Centre for Independent Studies

Sydney

20 July 2011

Senator David Coltart
Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Zimbabwe

Tuesday, 26 July 2011, 5:30pm for 5:45pm – 7:00pm
Parliament House, Parliament of NSW 
Macquarie St, Sydney 
Members – free, Non-Members – $15 / inc. GST

Reservations are essential. Places must be paid for in advance. Seats are transferable but non-refundable. We expect interest in this event to be high so please book early to avoid disappointment. Click here for more information or to register, or call (02) 9438 4377. For media enquiries please email CIS Media Manager, Jessica Kostera. For event enquiries, please email office@cis.org.au

SW Radio Africa

By Tererai Karimakwenda

20 July, 2011

The man who emerged as the main contact and Zimbabwean link in the match-fixing scandal now known as Asiagate has been jailed for two years. Wilson Raj Perumal was sentenced by a district court in Finland on Tuesday, after he was found guilty for his role in organizing players and officials who took part in fixing football matches in that country. Nine players were also found guilty and received suspended sentences.

A statement from the court focused on the fact that Perumal’s actions were planned and he represented an international betting syndicate, which paid players, coaches and other football officials to participate in match fixing and betting scams. Fifa and Interpol are also conducting their own investigations into allegations of corruption in international football.

Perumal, who is from Singapore, was fingered as the “mastermind” behind the Zimbabwe national team’s involvement in fixing 15 games in Asia between 2007 and 2009. He is alleged to have organized payments of over $28,000 per match for them to lose games. He reportedly made up to $70,000 per match, in addition to a share of the betting profits.

No arrests have been made in Zimbabwe so far, despite evidence revealed last week in a report by the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa), who investigated the scandal. The Zimbabwean matches under investigation included the well known 2009 trip to Malaysia when Monomotapa fraudulently played as the national team.

Warriors Captain Method Mwanjali testified that former Zifa programmes officer, Jonathan Musavengana, had worked with Perumal and his associates to organize payments during the 2009 trip to Malaysia. “He told us to lose by a certain number of goals against Thailand so as to get our money or allowances,” Mwanjali accused Musavengana as saying.

Back in Zimbabwe the case continus to attract dramatic headlines, after a member of the Zifa committee that investigated the scandal reported he had received death threats. Benedict Moyo, who is reportedly in hiding, claimed that he was threatened with death through anonymous telephone calls.

According to the Daily News newspaper, Moyo said he feared for his life because his brother, the former FC Platinum coach Benjamin Moyo, died last month under “mysterious” circumstances.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor, Gideon Gono, has also given evidence in the case, denying claims by the former Zifa chief executive officer Henrietta Rushwaya, that the RBZ had donated four vehicles and four generators for her personal use.

A Daily News report said Gono submitted a High Court affidavit that said the cars and generators “were donated to the association for use by the Zifa officials” who included Rushwaya “at the time” since she was the Zifa CEO.

Rushwaya, who was fired last year, is one of the top officials accused by Zifa of receiving bribes from Perumal and his agents, although she has denied the charges.

Meanwhile Zimbabwe’s Sports Minister David Coltart called on the police to investigate the football match fixing allegations. He said an independent body must be set up to deal with the scandal, headed by the police, lawyers and the Attorney General.

Herald

Wednesday, 20 July 2011

By Eddie Chikamhi

The Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, David Coltart, has hailed the Zimbabwe polocrosse team’s gallant efforts in coming second at the 2011 World Cup.

The team, led by Andy Baker, had a memorable outing at the tournament, winning all five matches on their way to the finals, where they eventually bowed 29-18 to neighbours South Africa on Sunday.

Coltart said the team deserves recognition as they brought pride to Zimbabwe and he said he raised the issue of the team’s success in cabinet yesterday.

“I think it was an outstanding result by the Zimbabwe team. It was magnificent for us to reach the final of the World Cup and, judging by reports from England, the final against South Africa was tightly contested.

“Nonetheless, the team did us proud by winning all their games on their way to the final, including the victory against giants Australia.

“We hope this wonderful result will inspire the future generation of polocrosse in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Eight teams took part at the World Cup and Zimbabwe, who failed to make the last four in the 2007 event, proceeded from their group unbeaten.

The Zimbabwe team comprised Baker, who is the captain, Michael Krynauw, Danie Swan and Graham Keith in the men’s side while Audrey Logan, Kelly Redford, Susan Sargeant and Sophie Sargeant make up the women’s side.

They beat New Zealand 17-15 in the first game and then accounted for two time champions Australia, who are credited with inventing the game, 21-12 in their second game.

Zimbabwe then brushed aside the challenge of World Cup debutants Zambia 22-10 to seal their place in the semi finals against United States.

The team triumphed 24-10 to set a date for an all-Africa final against South Africa who had also done well in their group, which included Ireland and the United Kingdom.

This was Zimbabwe’s third participation at the World Cup.

The inaugural event was hosted and won by Australia in 2003.

They hosted it again in 2007 with eight teams in attendance and they won the second edition but the complexion of the game was different in 2011 where they settled for bronze after beating the United Kingdom in the play-offs earlier on Sunday.

VOA

20 July 2011

By Sandra Nyaira

Politically tinged soccer tournaments are said to have been organized by Manicaland Provincial Governor Christopher Mushohwe, Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo and Information Minister Webster Shamu

With national elections in the offing though not scheduled, Zimbabwe Education Minister David Coltart has denounced the politicization of schools by politicians, most recently through soccer tournaments that end up becoming partisan political rallies.

Such tournaments are said to have been organized by Manicaland Provincial Governor Christopher Mushohwe, Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo and Information Minister Webster Shamu, according to sources familiar with Coltart’s concerns.

The nation’s schools were battlegrounds during the 2008 elections, and many worry that they could again be caught in the crossfire or turned into headquarters for youth militia loyal to President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party, as was seen in 2008.

Coltart this week said he is investigating what he called the abuse of school children in political campaigns being conducted under the guise of sports tournaments.

“We are going to take up the issue with provincial directors of the schools involved,” he said. “The ministry’s policy on this issue is very clear. School premises should not be used for anything other than for the purposes of learning.”

For more on the plight of schools, teachers and students in a political environment that is becoming increasingly heated by the day, VOA Studio 7 reporter Sandra Nyaira reached out to Zimbabwe Teachers Union Chief Executive Sifiso Ndlovu and Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe General Secretary Raymond Majongwe.

Ndlovu said his union supports extra-curricular activities, but politics should be left out.

Coltart “is within his right to protect the children against any abuse,” Ndlovu said.

“However, I must quickly say that schools are institutions of learning which are open to the communities. If they’re coming in to aid extra-curricula activities like sports, then we welcome that gesture but we don’t want to be used as levers for anybody.”

Majongwe said Zimbabweans should unite to ensure that the practice of politicians using school grounds for their elections campaigns is nipped in the bud.

“We should all say they should stay away with their footballs, their soccer tournaments, their music and all,” Majongwe said. “What we should be concentrating on is helping to mold the country’s future leaders so they do not become tomorrow’s abusers.”

Radio VOP

20 July 2011

Zimbabwe’s Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart is investigating the abuse of school children that allegedly took place during political campaigns.

In a telephone interview with Radio VOP on Monday, the Minister, David Coltart said: “We are going to take up the issue with provincial directors of schools involved. The ministry’s policy on this issue is very clear: school premises should not be used for anything rather than for the purpose of learning.”

Since the talk of elections started this year, Zanu (PF) heavy weights have been falling over each other to sponsor the so-called school soccer tournaments in their respective constituencies.

Some of the Zanu (PF) politicians who have organised these “tournaments” in recent weeks are Manicaland provincial governor, Chrishopher Mushohwe, Minister of Local government Ignatius Chombo, Information and Publicity Minister, Webster Shamu among others. Mushohwe organised a soccer tournament at Nyanyadzi secondary school in Chimanimani where participating school teams were given a soccer kit with Zanu (PF)’s logo and the governor’s portrait.

About three weeks ago, former Caps United coach, Moses Chunga who is also a former Dynamos player and coach, addressed a Zanu (PF) campaign rally organised by Chombo in Mutorashanga where the minister sponsored a football tournament.

The venue of the tournament was decorated with Zanu (PF) campaign posters including President Robert Mugabe and Chombo’s campaign posters. Recently Dynamos striker, Murape Murape also accompanied Shamu to a Zanu (PF) restructuring meeting at Dzingai Nkomo cooperative in Chegutu where he took to the podium amid wild cheers from Zanu (PF) supporters and donated soccer and netball balls to the party youths.

Zimbabwe Metro

20 July 2011

HARARE – Sports Minister David Coltart has applied further pressure on police to act on Zimbabwe’s match-fixing scam, saying only the law enforcement agents can bring the matter to finality.

Sources have it that police had already launched an investigation well before the damning Zifa inquiry report leaked to the media last week.

The inquiry, led by the association’s vice-president Ndumiso Gumede, produced a hard-hitting second Asiagate report, which fingered several players, officials and journalists as having accepted money from a huge underground network of illegal Asian betting syndicate to lose matches on several trips to the Far East between 2007 and 2009.

“My input is to make sure that sure that no dust settles on this report,” Coltart told the Daily News yesterday.

“I will certainly raise the matter with the Attorney General’s office and the Ministry of Home Affairs to make sure that appropriate action is taken.”

The Asiagate scam took a dramatic and criminal twist this week following claims by Benedict Moyo, a member of the investigation committee, that he has been threatened with death via anonymous phone calls.

Moyo, who is in hiding, yesterday said he feared for his life.

“My brother (former FC Platinum coach Benjamin Moyo) died mysteriously last month, and I have been threatened with death. Our football has turned into something else,” he said.

Coltart said the threats made on Moyo`s life did not come as a surprise to him.

“I’m not surprised,” Coltart said. “Unless these allegations are proven wrong, it will result in serious consequences for the people alleged to have committed these offences. There is evidence of serious criminal conduct and serious breach of Fifa statutes. If proven correct, the people concerned will face serious penalties. Given that, I am not surprised that people are lashing out at those perceived responsible for uncovering all these misconducts. I hope that those being threatened will report the matter to the police.”

While noting that the report makes “disturbing reading”, Coltart however raised few issues of concern.

“As you know it’s a bulky report,” he said. “I’ve only gone through 10 % of it so far. It makes disturbing reading.

“Well, the deficiency of the document is that is does not have affidavit statements and to that extent, as a lawyer, I prefer to see statements by way of affidavit. Clearly, it (the report) has little input from lawyers and to that, extent proper testing of the evidenced is absent.

“So whilst the allegations are very serious, it is important that there be due process of the law, involving testing statements. It is an important document and it`s submission to the police is necessary. It is now the job of the police to investigate these allegations, top makes sure that the allegations have substance. Look, I am primarily speaking as a lawyer, and as a lawyer, I would want to see a report that has affidavits signed by the witnesses. The report has to be seen as a document relied upon to convict a person.”

Coltart said a reputable constituted body must be set-up to carry out independent investigations.

“I need to reiterate, it (the report) makes very serious allegations,” he said.

“It now needs to be handled by the police and the AG’s office,” he said. “The police are the best qualified to investigate before the matter goes to court.  I am not dismissing the report but we need an independent investigation, led by the AG, police and lawyers to make sure that the evidence stand up in court to make sure that those responsible for these grave offenses are brought to book.”

• Chuffed that Ferrari won today at Silverstone but methinks it is too late for a resurgence #
• Dinner by the Atlantic in Casablanca – attending education finance conference for African Education Ministers #
• Zimbabwe's young Sables craven week rugby side thrashed Border country districts today 68-3. We need to keep these players for the future #
• Zimbabwe author wins Caine prize – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14120349 #
• Well done Scotland for beating Ireland at cricket today – now it is time to persuade your Government to allow you to tour Zimbabwe #
• Zimbabwean junior golfer Sean Crocker scored a 72 in 1st round of World Junior Champs yesterday – lying 14th #
• Looking forward to india v England cricket tests – which Zimbabwean coach, Fletcher or Flower, will gain the upper hand ? #
• Bulawayo will enjoy a feast of sport in early September – cricket test v Pakistan and the African Olympic hockey qualifying tournament #
• Productive discussions with Discovery Education at Morocco Conference – good chance that they will return to Zimbabwe #
• “@TheEconomist: Five countries will have more than a million centenarians each by 2100 – no big deal in Zim – our voters roll has plenty now #
• Congratulations to Zimbabwe's polocross team for reaching the World Cup finals which they will play against either SA or Australia #
• South africa has made me feel quite nostalgic – fuel queues, planes turning back … #
• Zimbabwe plays Australia in the final of the Polocrosse World Cup in the UK tomorrow – go Zim – well done #

VOA

18 July 2011

By Sandra Nyaira

Education Minister David Coltart said the lack of respect for teachers, poor housing and political intimidation of teachers have all contributed to high vacancies in schools across the country

The Zimbabwean education system, formerly one of Africa’s best, is laboring under some 15,000 vacant teacher positions left unfilled due to emigration, political intimidation of teachers and reluctance by new graduates to enter the profession.

The Ministry of Education said vacancies are increasing despite a government program welcoming back teachers who left the country at the height of the political crisis.

Sibonginkosi Mutasa, human resources principal director in the Education Ministry, said the shortage of teachers has had a negative impact on student pass rates.

He said that of 111,000 teaching posts, 96,000 are filled by qualified teachers with the remaining 15,000 still vacant as even uncertified teachers reject job offers.

Deputy Education Minister Lazarus Dokora attributed the shortage of teachers to brain drain, adding that teachers colleges are failing to produce enough graduates.

“The sector is in dire need of qualified teachers,” Dokora told the state-controlled Herald newspaper. “The optimistic view that some teachers would come back has no relationship to reality, rendering the amnesty useless,” Dokora said.

“New graduates are leaving for foreign lands and others are joining other sectors. The number of graduates is too low compared to pupils starting school.”

Education Minister David Coltart told VOA Studio 7 reporter Sandra Nyaira that the lack of respect for teachers in Zimbabwe, poor housing especially at rural schools and political intimidation of teachers have all contributed to high vacancies.

Philip Rudanda, president of the National Association for Primary School Heads, says rural schools are worst hit by teacher shortages.

Unqualified teachers, consequently, are being assigned to secondary school classes, teaching up to four subjects whether or not they are qualified in them.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe President Takavafira Zhou said the government estimate of 15,000 vacancies is too low.

Byo News 24

By Tendai Moyo

15 July 2011

Calls for security sector reforms in Zimbabwe by America and fronted here by the regime change functionaries betray unparalleled hypocrisy especially on the part of the US.

While they are vociferously calling for our security structures to be neutered, their political and governance structures are replete with military and intelligence people who hold influential positions.

It is interesting to note that the US – the voice behind Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, MDC formations and other like-minded organisations – has a rich history of leaders who literally walked from their barracks to assume the presidency of this powerful country.

George Washington, who is the first president of America, was a General of the Army with experiences from the American revolutionary war and the French and Indian wars from 1754 until 1764.

Information at hand also indicates that of all the 44 presidents of the USA, only 12 of them did not belong to the barracks.

The rest have fought wars, commanded armies and held key military positions.

Outstanding among these are Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan who fought bitter wars to expand and strengthen the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the United States of America.

In 2000, General Colin Powell, another military man from the US, rose from the trenches of America’s military escapades in Iraq to contest in primary elections for the Democrats presidential candidate’s post.

He was eventually trounced by George W Bush and ultimately settled for the influential governance post of Secretary for State.

In the US, military men are not only confined to national governance but are also incorporated in other affairs of the state that include, but not limited to, diplomatic services.

This is glaringly evident in Zimbabwe where it has consecutively deployed former military men to represent its interests.

The current US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Charles Ray, is a retired Major of the US Army.

Ray served in the US Army from 1962 to 1982.

He replaced Ambassador James McGee who also served in the US Air Force from 1968 to 1974.

Closer home in Botswana, the president is a military man, Lieutenant General Ian Khama, who exchanged military fatigue for presidential suits.

A soldier, Lieutenant General Mompati Merafhe, who has previously served as Khama’s superior in the army, deputises him.

The Batswana government has numerous other top government officials who have hailed from the barracks.

Suffice to say despite the omnipresence of such decorated military men in the Botswana government, it is hailed as Africa’s beacon of democracy; and that accolade is given to only those that are darlings of America.

In fact, Botswana is arguably one of America’s point countries in Southern Africa, in the latter’s war against Zimbabwe.

Cases of military men who traded their military offices for political persuasions are innumerably abundant and not peculiar to the US or Botswana.

Interestingly, the MDC-T, the most vocal proponent of security sector reforms, has also managed to grab this global trend by recruiting military men into its ranks.

It has a legion of serving and retired high-ranking military men in its ranks.

These include retired Major Giles Mutsekwa, who is Minister of Housing and Social Amenities and Retired Colonel Martin Rupiya.

People like David Coltart and Roy Bennett have a history in the trenches as they fought on the side of Ian Smith against Zimbabwe’s liberation.

There are numerous other junior ranking military people who constitute the membership of this supposedly military-averse organisation.

The lesson inherent in the afore-mentioned revelations is that military men are universally allowed to become political men.

It is this realisation that palpably jostled Professor Charles Pfukwa, in one of his editorials in The Patriot to question: “How can one man ask another to break his spear when the former has a quiver full of arrows and fully strung bow?”

However all these revelations come on the backdrop of heightened campaigns by the Americans and their local and international quislings to push for security sector reforms in Zimbabwe arguing that the country’s political space has become too militarised.

In line with this imperial crusade, the Crisis in Zimbawe Coalition on June 9 2011 published a report titled “The Military Factor in Zimbabwe’s Political and Electoral Affairs”.

The report tries to portray the participation of Zimbabwe’s military men in governance and politics as an insipid phenomenon peculiar to the Southern African nation.

Ironically, the crisis-mongering organisation recently entangled itself in some security crisis in South Africa when its hired mob of largely European demonstrators triggered violent skirmishes on the sidelines of the Sadc Summit Extraordinary in Sandton, South Africa, which were ably managed by the South African security forces.

We could be forgiven for believing that the organisation would also lobby for the reformation of the South African security forces for dousing their ill-fated violent demonstrations.

What is also puzzling is that the MDC-T, whose members are a constant threat to the general security of the country, is spearheading the campaign to emasculate our security sector.

The party recently left a bloody trail of violence on the run up to its fractious national congress in Bulawayo.

Also emerging from the congress is a militant youth assembly that immediately launched a violent campaigned they aptly dubbed the “eye for an eye campaign” against Zanu-PF members.

The campaign was consummated when suspected MDC-T supporters callously murdered a police Inspector Petros Mutedza.

Inspector Mutedza was lynched by political followers who were unquestionably buoyed by the belligerent “eye for an eye” campaign.

It is such security challenges that the MDC-T and its regime change bedfellows would like the security forces to turn a blind eye against.

One of the concerns raised in Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition’s report was that the military have come up with specifications for who can occupy the presidential seat.

They indicated that the position should not be straitjacket.

It is clear from this assertion that these pro-Western organisations are naively oblivious of the fact that even their American masters, in buttressing their national security against extraneous forces, have specifications that determine the characteristics of who should become president in their country.

It is irrefutable that some of these specifications stipulate that no one with communist and/or Islamic inclinations would ever be allowed to rule the US.

In this sense, the US security functionaries at the Pentagon are the guardians of the nation’s presidency and no one has any qualms about it.

So, what is this hullabaloo against the Zimbabwean security forces when they duly prescribe who should, and who should not be the president of Zimbabwe under the prevailing security challenges besieging our country?

It is also interesting that while the MDC-T and its coterie of regime change acolytes are finding fault with the security structures in Zimbabwe, the Sadc Sandton summit had consigned the security issue to the political dustbin.

The summit refused to entertain this unsubstantiated security scare supposedly posed by Zimbabwe’s securocrats. This regional position was further entrenched when the organisation’s organ responsible for security, after a rigorous scrutiny of the country’s security situation, decided to remove the country from its agenda.

This was a slap in the face of the shameless regime change apparatchiks. Interestingly, Brigadier General Douglas Nyikayaramba was recently booted out of the constitution making body, Copac. How can this happen in a country where the general and his colleagues in the barracks have not usurped civilian power?

Similarly, how could (Prime Minister) Morgan Tsvangirai, in such a de facto military state, be allowed to spew such abrasively provocative utterances against the supposedly omnipotent generals without scurrying for cover at the Dutch Embassy?

Furthermore, how can his party continue to freely traverse the breadth and width of the country holding the so-called peace rallies in a country where war veterans, soldiers and youth militia have been deployed to orchestrate violence?

If the military men in the US and other countries are allowed to participate in the political affairs of their countries, why is our military men denied the same privilege?

The whole security sector reform crusade smacks of a spirited and disingenuous campaign to weaken our military establishments so as expedite the treacherous regime change project.

Our detractors have identified the military as a stumbling block to their imperial designs hence their unremitting denigration of the institution.

The hypocrisy in these calls for security sector reforms is however unquestionable.

We should therefore resist any temptations to concede more ground to these neo-colonial demands as they are insidiously designed to weaken our revolutionary resolve.

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Tendai Moyo writes in his own capacity and can be contacted on tindo2moyo@gmail.com