• Very sound article by Professor Brian Raftopoulos – required reading for anyone interested in Zimbabwe http://t.co/gBvQARe #
• Hearty congratulations to Brendan Dawson and the Zimbabwe Sables rugby team for their comprehensive win over Kenya on Saturday #
• Looking forward to Zimbabwe v a very strong Australia A cricket team tomorrow. Love it when a plan comes together! #
• Disappointed by Zim's performance v Aus A – Zim fielded well and appeared to be coasting until Sibanda went out #
• Having said that Hasting and Lyon bowled exceptionally well – exciting prospects for Australia #
• Australia A's thrashing of SA A today makes me feel a bit better after yesterday's Zimbabwe collapse #
• Well done to the Zimbabwe Sables rugby team for their comprehensive 49-21 victory over Uganda today at Hartsfield in Bulawayo #

www.sundayworld.co.za

By Mxolisi Ncube

3 July 2011

THE future of Zimbabwean players accused of match-fixing while on tour in Asia during 2008 and 2009 looks bleak following revelations that a Fifa anti-corruption team will refer their case to the Zimbabwean police next week.

The accused players include Mamelodi Sundowns fullback Method Mwanjali and striker Nyasha Mushekwi, and Kaizer Chiefs defender Thomas Sweswe.

The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) alleges that the three admitted to taking bribes of about R7000 to lose their national team matches against Thailand, Malaysia and Syria.

Fifa wants the trio and their fellow national team players, most of whom are based in their homeland, banned from all football.

The Fifa team is expected to arrive in Harare this week to meet the Zimbabwe Republic Police and recommend that the accused players be formally investigated .

If the players are found guilty, they face possible lifetime bans.

The Fifa team will also meet Sports Minister David Coltart, the Zifa probe committee and other interested parties.

http://www.radiovop.com/

2 July 2011

31 disadvantaged students are set to attend top American Universities following the unveiling of $7 million worth of scholarships by the United States Embassy.

The students, drawn from the country’s 10 provinces, were praised by Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, for earning places at top American universities and colleges.

The US Student Achievers Program (USAP) is run by the Embassy’s Public Affair Section in Harare.

Among the 2011 USAP group, three students are physically disabled, several are the heads of their households having lost both parents, and others are the offspring of street and market vendors.

One scholarship recipient worked as a gold panner to pay his A’ level fees and another will be the first Zimbabwean student in a wheelchair to study in the United States.

“Today we celebrate the potential of education to change our nations’ futures.  This is a ceremony to mark the meeting of merit andopportunity, as well as the power of investing in the capacity of our youth for the future of society,” said Charles Ray, US Ambassador to Zimbabwe.

“And while we do this, it is also an opportunity to note the impact of positive cooperation between our two nations, Zimbabwe and the United States of America.  Education is crucial to the success of both countries. As we share education resources for the benefit of our young citizens, we both grow stronger.”

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was guest of honor at the event and hailed the USAP initiative while encouraging students to exhibit the true Zimbabwean spirit of hospitality and hard work.

“You must know that as your Prime Minister, I attended a humble primary school in rural Buhera and I did not have the great opportunity afforded to you today. So go and be good students, respect your hosts and work hard. Exhibit the true Zimbabwean spirit, that of hospitality and hard-work. Be vigilant,” said the Prime Minister.

In his congratulatory message, the Education, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister, David Coltart, welcomed U.S. support to education in Zimbabwe.

“This year’s scholarship awards will enable more students to pursue thei goals and career paths through higher education, something they might not otherwise have been able to do.  Indeed, this generous support is particularly welcome at a time when families are facing increased financial pressures,” wrote the minister.

The US Student Achievers Programme (USAP) is a one-year intensive counseling program that assists academically talented but economically disadvantaged A’ level students to obtain full scholarships to top US colleges and universities.

The programme helps the students research the best academic programs for

their talents, prepare for standardized American university

entrance exams, and write application essays.

The US Student Achiever Program (USAP), established in 1999 in Zimbabwe, has

been replicated by 15 other US Embassies around the

world, including Embassies in Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Latvia,

Madagascar, Malawi, Mongolia, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda,

and Zambia.

Since it began in Harare, over 200 Zimbabwean students have won full

scholarships covering tuition and fees, room and board, books and

other expenses for four year bachelor degree studies in the U.S

SW Radio Africa

29 June 2011

For nearly 9 years the Zimbabwe Vigil has been protesting in London against human rights violations in Zimbabwe. Rose Benton, one of the coordinators, joins Question Time to tackle issues raised by listeners. Why are Zimbabweans in the Diaspora apathetic when it comes to protesting? How does the Vigil respond to allegations that they take advantage of desperate asylum seekers in the UK?

Lance Guma: For almost nine years The Zimbabwe Vigil has been protesting in London against human rights violations in Zimbabwe. Rose Benton, the coordinator, is my guest on Question Time and joins us to take questions sent in by listeners using FaceBook, Twitter, Skype, email and text messages. Rose Benton thank you for joining us.

Rose Benton: It’s a pleasure Lance. I just wanted to say that there is another co-ordinator for Vigil, that’s Dumi Tutani and a Vigil management team which is always consulted and contributes to all the decisions we make. We are a sort of very democratic sort of organisation, so I’m not solely in charge and don’t make all the decisions.

Guma: OK Rose. Now it’s nearly nine years of vigils at the Zimbabwe Embassy in London; trace for us the history of the organisation – why was it set up and what are you trying to achieve?

Benton: Well back in 2001 we met at a regular Zimbabwe Forum and had various speakers come to talk to us and one of them was Roy Bennett and one of them was Tony Reeler and both of them suggested a vigil along the lines of the anti-apartheid vigil and so we looked at this and we decided that we didn’t have the resources for a 24/7 vigil so what we would do is hold a weekly protest from two to four every Saturday.

That’s what we have achieved and now we haven’t missed a Saturday apart from when they fell on Christmas Day so that is a considerable achievement. Achievement, I think our main purpose is to be an on-street visible protest, to raise awareness about the situation in Zimbabwe and to stop people forgetting Zimbabwe, I think that is our main purpose.

And we have, there are thousands of people who pass by where we are on the Strand, it’s a very busy area, it’s very near Convent Garden so we get a lot of people from all nationalities, surprising number of who know about Zimbabwe and know that there are problems there but then there are a lot of people who don’t know and are interested to find out. So we’ve done that all through the time we’ve been protesting and also as a focal point at the Vigil we run, we’ve always run petitions which we send out. I can talk more about those later if you like.

So it’s a total question of awareness, the whole business of trying to overthrow dictatorships and human rights abusers is a long and arduous process, and it is a process, it’s not an immediate thing. When I started I thought a couple of years we will have achieved what we wanted but here we are, nearly nine years later and things are not good in Zimbabwe.

Guma: Now your relationship with the MDC is an interesting one; clearly a lot of MDC involvement in the initial set-up, just explain this for us from the beginning and how it is now.

Benton: Yes at the beginning, a lot of people, everything was focused around the MDC and there were MDC groups that actually started The Vigil but through the years it became apparent that we shouldn’t tie ourselves to any political party, it restricted us in the other people who would come and join us so we have changed to a totally non-party political organisation.

We never really were a party, we were never really an MDC vigil, we were always non-party political but we always welcomed all MDC members because a lot of our supporters are MDC and of course they are absolutely welcome because they support our aims, our mission statement which is to protest against human rights abuses in Zimbabwe until there are free and fair internationally monitored elections.

Guma: Another group that you have a close relationship with, and in fact all your statements have something on them, the Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe group, ROHR, explain the relationship for our listeners also.

Benton: Yes, the Restoration of Human Rights was actually set up by The Vigil as our face in Zimbabwe so we have a very, to my mind, we are the same organisation. The Vigil’s face in Zimbabwe is ROHR.

Guma: Marceline emails us from Scotland and says having come to The Vigil on one particular day, she thought the turn out did not represent the huge numbers of Zimbabweans living in the UK, most of whom claimed asylum on political grounds and her question is: is there a problem of motivation or fatigue with the crisis?

Benton: The numbers for The Vigil have varied through the years. When we started we used to get about 30 people to The Vigil. We got to a high point of getting around 250 a week, that was 2008 when the crisis in Zimbabwe was so crucial. Nowadays we get about a hundred but you know we’re a regular protest; we’re not a one-off demonstration where you can get everybody to come.

It’s a regular protest that people have to commit to and I think for a hundred people a week at a regular protest is a good number so I don’t get the feeling of, the key members of our organisation are very committed to the human rights cause in Zimbabwe and we’ll keep fighting.

The thing is about immigration, people come to this country from Zimbabwe, they’ve fled because of having a bad life in Zimbabwe and they’ll do everything they can to settle here and sometimes their energies for just living here, sorting out their own lives here take up everything so if they come here for us it’s a bonus.

The thing is about people who come to us because they want help with their asylum issues, many of them become committed to the human rights cause and start thinking beyond themselves and that’s a very good thing. We’ve got people who’ve been with us a long time who came probably for the reasons of wanting support for asylum and have stayed with us and committed themselves to the human rights cause.

Guma: Is there any particular reason why you selected a Saturday for your protest? Some will argue maybe Saturdays when people are off and resting from a week’s worth of work and maybe a week day would have been better when the embassy is open. What do you make of that?

Benton: Well the thing is that people, the very reason is because people don’t work on a Saturday and we do get more people in, it means that we can get people from all over the country. People come to us from Scotland; they actually travel overnight on a coach from Scotland, spend the day with us and travel overnight again to get back home in the evening.

And they come from Northern Ireland and the north of England, it’s a heavy commitment and I don’t think they would be able to do that during the week, they wouldn’t be able to get away in that way. I think that even though the embassy isn’t open, and even actually if you are there during the week there’s not very much sign of the embassy being open.

Guma: Now The Vigil, Rose over the years has received some negative press with allegations that you take advantage of asylum seekers who are desperate for letters from the organisation confirming their participation in your activities. Brian who lives in London has Twittered a similar question – is this fair criticism?

Benton: No it’s absolutely not. The thing is about The Vigil, we do write letters for people, we write letters strictly on their attendance because we know nothing else about them, we know nothing about their human rights commitments, all we know is that they are committing to being on the street and being visible as a human rights protester against the abuses in Zimbabwe and we will write letters.

We have a small admin charge which is necessary because we have no funding so basically we need to cover our own costs so that’s all we charge and it’s, and we do not abuse, we keep very strictly to our procedures and we’ve actually outlined our procedures in our diary several times and basically the reason we say that people at The Vigil, The Vigil attendance counts as an element in your asylum cases because you are visible on the street. We are photographed by people, we have fairly good evidence that CIO keeps an eye on us and also on the photographs that are spread around websites so you are a visible presence if you protest with us.

Guma: Your partner organisation, ROHR, that you say has a presence in Zimbabwe, has obviously also faced similar accusations that on occasions they demand as much as two hundred (pounds) from people who want letters. Is there any truth in these claims?

Benton: I think what ROHR, ROHR doesn’t, ROHR asks for membership because by committing to membership you are committing to human rights. If you don’t commit to that membership then you are just using ROHR and not making no commitment to them so that’s what they ask for, they ask for membership fees and they are not actually payment for letters.

Guma: OK what are these membership fees? Just to clarify for people who are listening.

Benton: I think it’s £10 a month, that what I, I don’t run the ROHR administration but I think it’s £10 a month membership fees which is probably in line with a lot of organisations.

Guma: Tonderai Munyuki writes to us and says we know your weekend vigils have been important in terms of informing people who pass by the area here in the UK but have they had any effect on the situation in Zimbabwe?

Benton: This is quite difficult to say whether they’ve actually had an effect but I know that we are known and resented by the human rights abusers in Zimbabwe. It’s a slow process, you dig away. Every time we pick up on some issue and publicise it, it gets round to the world more. I’m sure it influences people like the EU in their applying of targeted sanctions and things like that.

A constant keeping up, keeping issues in the public eye so when you look at what’s happening, nothing seems to have changed in Zimbabwe but it’s interesting that recently SADC has been much tougher on Mugabe and I think we’re part of that process because we constantly look at what is happening and bring to the attention of people the anomalies and unfairness of the situation.

Guma: I suppose you’ve answered part of the next question but Susan Mawanza sends a text message and says apart from the weekly vigil does your organisation lobby government officials and other organisations to influence their policies on Zimbabwe?

Benton: Well yes, you know we have run petitions ever since we started. We started red off with a very big petition to the UN human rights commissioner who, and we had a very big event in connection with that. We delivered it to parliament; we hired a red double-decker, open plan double-decker and drove around the streets of London delivering it to the parliament, to the UN offices at Milbank and driving around the streets and increasing awareness.

But we’ve done a lot of petitions to the EU, to the UN, to southern African, to SADC, to the AU, to FIFA, to the British government, there’ve been, we’ve run constant petitions. Our current petitions are – one is to the UN Security Council asking for peacekeeping forces in Zimbabwe before, during and after elections and a real strong monitoring of processes if there is an election to make sure they are free and fair and the other petition is to the EU government saying they should stop government-to-government aid to all SADC countries who do not honour their human rights commitments i.e. they tacitly support Mugabe in his brutality to his own people.

Guma: Recently you sent out a statement that a group of Zimbabweans had met to consider the political stalemate and that the conference resolved to form a new global movement called Zimbabwe Yes We Can. Ephraim Tapa was elected president of the new movement. Now tell us about this.

Benton: Yah my understanding is, because I haven’t actually personally involved in this process is there’s a lot of people who feel there’s a real vacuum in the political climate in Zimbabwe and a need for something stronger. I have heard that Ephraim has been approached by a lot of people from different groups and so they did all meet in Leeds to set up a sort of on the ground protest movement which they are calling Zimbabwe Yes We Can.

And this group, movement is kind of based on the protest movements that have taken place in the Middle East to really work on how they can disrupt the dictatorship. There’s a very interesting treatise by a man called Gene Sharp called From Dictatorship to Democracy which was used as the bible for the Egyptian protest where he lists all the ways that you can overthrow a dictatorship.

He says dictatorships only exist by this, because of the tacit support of the people, either through fear or whatever but basically what he is saying is that if you can find the right way to overturn them by finding weaknesses, so this is all a process. And it is such a process isn’t it? I mean you know, you think you can overturn things because it’s unfair but there’s so many people who have a stake in what’s happening, a stake in continuing the corruption, a stake in continuing to put the country’s wealth into their pockets which causes real problems and it’s not just Zimbabwe, so many countries are like this.

Guma: Is this movement, Zimbabwe Yes We Can, is it a political party? Most of the coverage seems to have suggested that it’s a political party.

Benton: I think at the moment it’s a group of people getting together to find out what’s the way forward so as it stands at the moment it’s not a political party. Definitely not yet, not a political party. What might develop who knows? There’s certainly room for a political party in Zimbabwe and it all depends on how things go and I don’t know enough about the in and outs.

They’re having another meeting in June and maybe more will become apparent from that meeting but for the moment it’s just gathering support for a big grassroots movement and I think there’s some fairly high powered people involved, I don’t know quite who they all are and there’s been a lot of interest both in Zimbabwe and in the Diaspora in this and that’s not just the UK, I think from South Africa and from the US. I’m not really the best person to ask about this because this is all what I’ve heard from other people.

Guma: OK well you know in everything that is done there are cynics and some are already pointing to this as just a fund raising venture by disgruntled people who were expelled from different political parties. They’re pointing to people like Ephraim Tapa saying well he was expelled from the MDC, now he’s starting this group – you’d like to put in a word for him there?

Benton: Yes I have actually spoken to Ephraim personally about this and he did not start this group, he was approached by many different people to get involved in this so it wasn’t his initiative in the first place. He was just pulled into it and they see him as a leader and he gets a very bad press and I never understand why because I’ve known him for many years and he’s been consistent in his human rights activism.

So he’s one person who has consistently worked very hard and stayed a human rights activist even though he’s in this country, sorted out his life here and he could just sit back and do nothing but he doesn’t. So I absolutely support Ephraim Tapa and his efforts, I have worked with him very closely for many years and I find the negative publicity, it’s largely jealousy and stupidity.

Guma: Final question for you Rose, almost nine years of Zim Vigil protest as we pointed out at the beginning of the programme, if you were to pick your favourite moments in all that time of activism, whether it was a campaign or a petition, what would you pick as your favourite project?

Benton: Well we’ve had some very high-powered protests; the protest when Zuma arrived and was outside the South African embassy was quite a high point. We’ve had very heart-warming protests, (inaudible) during election times in Zimbabwe and that’s something I think, also we’ve had some very good, wonderful visitors – Pius Ncube visited us in the early days as did Roy Bennett, David Coltart and last week, yes, Benjamin Zephaniah came, the famous London poet and he was very, very damning about Mugabe which you can read on our last diary.

Oh yes another famous visitor was Nick Clegg before he became deputy prime minister so it’s always been very interesting outside the embassy and I think probably the biggest thing for me is the life of The Vigil and the warmth of the people there and the fact is that we just want to continue there because of the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe and we will do that.

Guma: Well Zimbabwe that was Rose Benton one of the…

Benton: Oh hang on, what about Lisbon, Lance?

Guma: Yes I was waiting for you to say that.

Benton: It’s hard to remember everything, what about Lisbon? Lance was with us in Lisbon (covering the protest), our protest in Lisbon was extraordinary. We took 25 activists over there and we protested solidly for three days. I think Dumi Tutani who was leading the singing and dancing sang four hours solid without a break. And always at The Vigil everybody else shouts slogans but the Zimbabwe way of protesting through song and dance is so effective. Sometimes people say we are having a party but in fact it is the Zimbabwe way and it is, it draws a lot of attention and a lot of sympathy and people coming to support us.

Guma: Well Zimbabwe that’s Rose Benton, one of the coordinators of The Zimbabwe Vigil here in the United Kingdom. Rose, thank you so much for your time.

Benton: That’s a pleasure Lance.

• 14 year old Zimbabwean Sean Crocker has qualified to play in #golf Junior World Champs in San Diego USA in July. Zim is right behind you! #
• "National security issues…will have to take precedence over politics as happened after the March 29 2008 elections" Jonathan Moyo 19/6/11 #
• "A message that those who do not learn from…recent history risk repeating their mistakes in ways that can be very catastrophic" Jona Moyo #
• If Jonathan Moyo's article in today's Sunday Mail is not a call for a coup then I do not know what is – appalling http://t.co/yCCGtnm #
• Welcome to Southern Africa Michelle Obama on her #YoungAfrica trip – we look forward to welcoming you to Zimbabwe one of these days #
• Delighted that Mrs Obama #Young Africa trip is focussed on US Educational and Aids assistance – Zimbabweans kids also need that help #
• Delighted that Mrs Obama #YoungAfrica trip is focussed on US Educational and Aids assistance – Zimbabweans kids also need that help #
• Am told that Michele Obama recognised Robyn Kriel as a brave Zimbabwean, which she is. Well done Robyn we are proud of you -#YoungAfrica (n) #
• Flying in Africa is getting easier? Not all tho http://t.co/WSsnLPs Sad that Air Zimbabwe which used to be the 2nd best in Africa is so poor #
• Bulawayo to host African Olympic Qualifiers in September – all systems now go! http://t.co/zmE7tR8 #
• It is time to restore Air Zimbabwe as one of the top in Africa – it has superb pilots, cabin crew, infrastructure so can be great again #

Daily News

24 June 2011

As tension within the inclusive government continues to mount, there are fresh fears that the lives of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Finance Minister tendai Biti are in grave danger.

Sources in the security sector and the MDC who spoke to the Daily News last night said there were worrying indications that some Zanu PF hardliners could be working with rogue elements in the military and intelligence sectors to assassinate the two leading MDC lights.

“There is no doubt that the lives of the likes of Tsvangirai and Biti are in grave danger from some rogue elements within the military and intelligence sectors.

“Basically, these elements have reached the terrible conclusion that only violence and anarchy can keep Zanu PF in power. They are patently hostile to change and the inclusive government,” one of the sources said.

As a result, security around Tsvangirai and Biti has been tightened in the past few weeks.

MDC spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said: “We are aware of the evil machinations of certain elements but we know that despite all their machinations and evil intentions, we will win the next free and fair elections.

“We are aware of the evil intentions of political criminals who want to terminate the life of the inclusive government and create chaos in Zimbabwe to justify human rights abuses.

“The MDC leadership remains badly exposed because state protection is very porous. The rogue elements were even recently allowed to demonstrate against Minister Biti. The security around MDC personnel is not good at all”.

Among others who fear that prominent political players opposed to Zanu PF may be facing a real risk of being assassinated is Minister of Education, Sports and Culture David Coltart who spoke recently at the law faculty of the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

He said Zanu PF hardliners were trying to derail prospects for a peaceful transition in Zimbabwe, adding somberly that, as a result, “there was no guarantee for a happy ending” to the current democratization process.

“The situation in Zimbabwe is very fragile, similar to South Africa in the early 1990s. There are hardliners trying to subvert the status quo … and they could be pushed to (carry out) the assassination of a high profile person in order to ensure an election this year,” Coltart said.

The startling sentiments have been echoed by analysts and other politicians who accuse “a primitive faction” of Zanu PF of working to end the tottering Global Political Agreement (GPA) and plotting to unleash violence across the country.

Political analyst Charles Mangongera said there was no doubt that hardliners within Zanu PF would not like to see progress being made as it would affect the privileges they have acquired over the years.

“It’s a very small clique but very dangerous. It wields military authority, substantial material and financial resources. They can afford to hire some people to do their bidding.

“For instance, there are characters masquerading as political analysts and advisers whom they are using to attack others and to preserve their privileges,” Mangongera said, adding that the clique was desperate for power and therefore nothing could be put past them.

However, another analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya said: “If they attempt to assassinate anybody in the political field, it will be the end of their regime. The position of the regional players and international players is that anything done outside the legitimate framework will be unacceptable both to Zimbabweans and the outside world.

“What they should do is to address what needs to be addressed, and that is follow the roadmap because anything outside that is a waste of time and will have the effect of worsening the position of Zanu Pf in the eyes of Zimbabweans and the international community”.

Last month there was an attempt on Biti’s life – who is seen as a thorn in President Robert Mugabe’s side – after an explosive device hit the wall at his Harare residence.

The police only pitched up at the house 17 hours after the incident and there has been no progress in the investigations to date.

The attack came a few days after a heated Security Council meeting chaired by Mugabe where the vocal finance minister is said to have clashed with security chiefs.

Tsvangirai who is in Spain for the World Justice Forum accused securocrats, the real power behind Mugabe and Zanu PF, of interfering in politics and thereby undermining the new dispensation.

“When the Police Commissioner-General and the Attorney-General state publicly that they support a particular political party in an inclusive government, as in our case, the rule of law becomes perverted and people lose confidence in the institutions they lead,” Tsvangirai said.

Last week, the former trade union leader challenged the securocrats to remove their uniforms if they wanted to pursue political careers.

Newsday

By Fortune Moyo

24 June 2011

Education minister David Coltart has declared distribution of condoms in schools will not take place until government was satisfied with the programme.

On Monday, the National Aids Council (NAC) said it was proposing amendments to a number of laws that could see the distribution of condoms at schools as a way of fighting the HIV/Aids scourge.

In an interview yesterday, Coltart said he has not been approached by NAC on the issue.

“I have heard that there have been such reports, but I have not been approached by NAC on the matter,” he said.

“This is a policy matter and until I have given my approval, such a programme cannot take place.” Coltart said there was need to carry out consultations on the matter.

“This is a matter which will need us to carry out some consultations before implementation,” he said.

“I am actually surprised that this has been brought forward without anyone consulting me as the minister in charge of Education.”

The law which NAC wants amended is the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council Act. It provides for the structure, functions and powers of ZNFPC, which include child spacing and fertility services, promotion and implementation of primary healthcare.

However, NAC wants that Act amended so that, “contraceptives be made readily available in schools . . . stipulating placing of condoms in hotels, nightclubs and lodges”.

The recommendations were made by a consultant hired to review HIV/Aids policies in Zimbabwe with a view of harmonising them.

If the proposals are accepted, Zimbabwe will be following in the footsteps of South Africa, which in 2007 introduced the Children’s Act that gives children who are 12 years and above the right to access contraceptives.

An estimated 1,2 million Zimbabweans, including 145 225 children live with HIV/Aids.

Although the adult prevalence rate has declined to 13, 1%, it still remains one of the highest in the world

Newsday

23 June 2011

The Zimbabwe men’s hockey team coach Bill Birkett Wednesday hailed the renewed interest in the sport as the country prepares to host the Africa Olympic Games qualifiers set for Bulawayo in September.

Government and the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee through the Olympic Solidarity funding have been trying to revive the sport.

“These are exciting times in local hockey. I haven’t been excited like this about the local sport in ten years, but that has all changed as we are preparing for the Africa Olympic qualifiers.

“It all started with the government pledging support in the relaying of astro turf at Khumalo and I’m happy with the progress that has taken place so far.

“The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee also secured funding for the team through the Olympic Solidarity program which is a huge boost for our preparations,” said Birkett.

Birkett who is also a technical expert will team up with Pakistani coaching expert KM Awais to conduct a technical course for 20 local coaches at the Olympic Sports Center at Prince Edward from June 25-July 22.

The course is being funded by the Olympic Solidarity to the tune of $10 000.00.

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee last month secured US$45 000 from the Olympic Solidarity to support the Zimbabwe senior men’s hockey team.

The funds will be channeled specifically towards the hockey team’s preparations for the Olympic Games qualifiers.This was a bold step towards ensuring that Zimbabwe qualifies a team sport to the Olympics for the first time since 1980 when the women’s hockey team won a gold medal.

The Minister of Education, Sports and Culture David Coltart, made a passionate appeal to cabinet for the release of the 1 million dollars which was needed for the refurbishment of Khumalo Hockey Stadium in Bulawayo.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Zimbabwe to Host 2nd African Olympic Qualifier

The Hockey Association is preparing feverishly to host the second African Olympic Qualifier in Bulawayo during the period September 2-11, 2011. The Government of Zimbabwe is therefore rehabilitating the Khumalo Stadium and replacing the old turf with a modern, state of the art and environementally friendly one. A Press Release from the Local Organising Committee indicate some good progress being made.

HOCKEY ASSOCIATION OF ZIMBABWE

PRESS RELEASE

KHUMALO HOCKEY STADIUM, BULAWAYO

The Khumalo Hockey Stadium was built in 1994 to host the Africa Games in 1995. That event was an outstanding success, due in no part to the excellent facilities. The stadium, at its prime, ranked amongst the best such facilities globally, and the President of the International Hockey Federation, Mrs Els Van Breda Vriesman, during a visit to mark the centenary of hockey in Zimbabwe in 2000, noted that Bulawayo was an ideal venue for hosting international tournaments.

During this period, the facility was attracting more international sportsmen and women, of all ages, than any other sporting facility in Bulawayo. Far from being a white elephant, as many had predicted, it was a facility that was put to good use by both adults and school children. Sadly after 2003 the stadium fell into disuse as the artificial carpet approached the end of its useful life, and no hockey was played there after 2005.

The Hockey Association of Zimbabwe is pleased to advise that on 31 May 2011 a contract was signed in Harare for the replacement of the artificial turf. The chosen supplier is Edelgrass based in The Netherlands;  Edelgrass provided the original turf in 1994, but new technology has allowed them to supply an enhanced product for the Khumalo Hockey Stadium – returning it to one of the top hockey facilities globally. Taking into account the City’s water concerns, the new “B” field will require no water to play on, whilst the new “A” field will require about 50% less than that previously used. In this way the KHS has reduced water consumption to 25% of the previous amounts – a considerable boost to the environment and the City. The new turf left the manufacturer on 9th June and is due in Bulawayo on the 16th July, with completion two weeks later.

Part of the motivation for the repair of the stadium was the hosting by the Hockey Association of Zimbabwe of a major International Hockey Tournament, and the Africa Hockey Federation awarded Zimbabwe the right to host the Africa Olympic Qualifier in September 2011. The last major event hosted at the Khumalo Hockey Stadium was the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000. The hosting of this Olympic Qualifier is a major boost to not only Bulawayo, but to Zimbabwe as a whole.

In addition to this event Zimbabwe will host the Southern African Three Nations Tournament in late August. This annual event brings together teams from U/14, U/16, U/18 and open from Namibia and Botswana. In mid-August the Inter-provincial Tournament will be played at the KHS.

At the same time the Congress of the African Hockey Federation will be held in Bulawayo. These three events will bring much needed activity to our city hotels and boost the image of the City. Teams and delegates will arrive at the new JM Nkomo airport and play at a newly revamped stadium.

The repair to the field irrigation system, the roof and other parts of the stadium are now moving forward. However, since that date, a team of volunteers has been active at the stadium clearing and cleaning, and have enjoyed resounding support from the City of Bulawayo.

Please contact either Mr James Watson, Marketing Manager, Africa Olympic Qualifier, Local Organising Committee (AOQ-LOC) on 0713 608 238 or mhb.projects@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or the Matabeleland Hockey Board (President, Mr R Kendall-Ball 263 772 126 755 ) or  the Hockey Association of Zimbabwe (President Mr K Kanyangara 263 773 430 470) for more information.

The Official Host of the Tournament is the Hockey Association of Zimbabwe, but the Matabeleland Hockey Board, as the local host, is embarking on various efforts to make this a success and showpiece for Bulawayo and Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe Community Radio http://www.zicora.com/

22 June 2011

Education, arts, sport and culture minister David Coltart says his ministry will tighten monitoring measures on the textbooks that were distributed to all primary schools.

Speaking to Zimbabwe Community Radio, Coltart said his ministry has received a number of reports that some schools are illegally selling the textbooks.

“These books are government property, we made it very clear that these textbook are not for resale, if parents would read what is printed on them, it is specified they are not to be sold,” he said. “If there is any attempts to sell those, that will be a criminal offence”

He added that there is a law of theft which ensures that such government property is not tempered with as this is a gift from UNICEF.

“There is no market for those who sell the books because every child now has their own textbook, so where are they going to be sold.”

The minister encouraged parents to refuse to buy text books and said schools received text books in English, Mathematics, Environmental Science and indigenous language and there is no need for parents to be buying textbooks.He however encouraged parents to buy text books which were not covered by the program.

Last year the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund UNICEF unveiled a US$70 million programme aimed at providing a text book for every child in the country’s 5,300 primary schools within 12 months. It is being funded by Australia, New Zealand and European nations.

Zimbabwean

22 June 2011

By Vusimusi Bhebhe

Desperate Zanu (PF) hardliners could be forced to assassinate a high-profile figure in order to justify the holding of elections this year, Education Minister David Coltart warned this week as a key ally of embattled President Robert Mugabe threatened that “all hell will break loose” over a poll roadmap being spearheaded by SADC.

Addressing law students at the University of Cape Town, Coltart said the situation in Zimbabwe was very fragile. He warned that cornered Zanu (PF) hardliners would stop at nothing in their attempt to force an election this year, including the possibility of staging an assassination of a senior political figure in order to create chaos and trigger a state of emergency.

“There is no guarantee of a happy ending… There are hardliners trying to subvert the status quo – those behind the increasing violence seen this year – and they could be pushed to the assassination of a high-profile person in order to ensure an election this year while Mugabe can be its figurehead,” said Coltart.

He did not say which high-profile individual could be targeted for assassination although previous reports have hinted at a plot by Zanu (PF) hardliners to kill Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Other reports have cited key Tsvangirai ally and Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Tendai Biti as another possible target for assassination by Zanu (PF)-aligned security forces.

Coltart’s fears were confirmed this week when Zanu (PF) chief propagandist Jonathan Moyo threatened that “all hell will break loose” unless South African mediators shelve the proposed roadmap to guide the conduct of Zimbabwe’s next polls.

Coltart’s note:

This is a distortion of what I actually said when I spoke at UCT on the 19th May 2011 (see my post of the summary of the speech posted on that day). I was speaking in the context of Chris Hani’s assassination in South Africa in the early 1990s and simply said that the same scenario was possible in Zimbabwe. I have no intelligence of any such plot today but ti remains a possibility that some of the hardliners who are determined to break the GPA could resort to extreme measures.