Herald

10 June 2010

By Ellina Mhlanga

ZIMBABWE and Germany have signed a Memo-randum of Understanding for the development of the country’s football as part of the European nation’s support for sport here.

The pact was signed between the Germany Embassy here in Harare and the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture.

The Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart and the German Embassy’s first secretary Matthias Schuhmacher signed the Memorandum of Understanding.

This will see Zimbabwe engaging a Germany coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels to help in its football development programmes.

Pagels will come to Zimbabwe in August for a period of two years and will provide technical expertise in youth football where he will be instrumental in the development of an all-year youth league ranging from Under-11 to Under-19 age groups.

He will work with women’s football with a lot of emphasis placed on the promotion and inspiration of school girl soccer through tournaments at their level.

Pagels will also assist in the development of Five-A-Side football and the training and development of coaches and referees.

The Germany coach will also be involved in administration of the sport.

Coltart said there was a big need to invest in sport as it plays a vital role in the development of the country’s economy.

“My ministry is concerned with the development of sport and realises the need to equip the sector so as to make it realise its potential as a source of economic development,” said Coltart.

He said sport, especially football, needs support through the availing of technical expertise besides the usual financial assistance tranches.

“Sport, especially soccer, needs to be resourced not only through the injection of finances, but through the availing of technical expertise to increase its developmental programmes and its reach to the grassroots in our society.

“The future and sustainability of soccer can only be in developing a strong developmental, broad based, inclusive youth policy.

“Without a foundation for soccer the nation is least likely to see its teams taking part in future world, continental and regional tournaments.

“It is in the pursuance of the above that the Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture has decided to partner with the Federal Republic of Germany through the GTZ to partner and develop both the in-school and out-of-school football in Zimbabwe.

“GTZ has undertaken to provide technical expertise in the person of a football expert seconded to Zifa’s Soccer Development Department from the German Football Association,” said Coltart.

Zifa were commissioned by the ministry to work hand-in-hand with the Department of International Relations of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, Frankfurt/Main.

“Further, it is imperative on me to clarify that this expert does not come to MoESAC and Zifa as a coach for the national team. His role is to oversee the development of the sport from grassroots level.

“Zifa should not derail these sport development efforts at any time as it is in the interest of the future of soccer that they see to it that the efforts succeed,” added Coltart.

Zifa board member in charge of competition, Benedict Moyo, applauded the government for its support.

“We want to thank the government for according us a second chance to have a dance with the German technical assistance,

“That is what we were looking for because when we came into office we knew that we were going to be judged by the performance of national teams.

“With our financial status engaging a foreign coach was always going to be difficult but now we have a Germany coach coming and he is not coming as a national coach but he is coming to assist all coaches, all age groups from the juniors to the seniors,” said Moyo.

Moyo said there was going to be a link now from the junior to the senior level.

“Now there is going to be no age cheating because we will now have a to monitor all that.

“He will also be involved in talent identification and come up with necessary developmental structures and once he does that our soccer will go up.

“We want to develop our own culture of football,” said Moyo.

Women’s football chairperson Mavis Gumbo said the move was a major boost to women’s football that has over the past years struggled to come up with sustainable developmental structures.

“I am so excited and this is something good for the girl child. It is a very big boost to women football.

“It just came at the right time and is going to help us a lot because we are restructuring from zonal level,” said Gumbo.

Herald

7 June 2010

Harare — PROSPECTIVE candidates for the November 2010 Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations will be required to pay a late registration fee of US$5 per subject, the Government has announced adding there would be no extension to the May 28 deadline.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart and the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council on Friday issued statements dismissing reports that there was confusion surrounding the registration deadline.

Minister Coltart said needy pupils under Beam were the “only” ones to get Government assistance while those who failed to register by the stipulated date would be required to pay an extra US$5 per subject as penalty for late registration.

“There is no confusion at all and we have not extended anything. The position is the deadline expired on May 28 and we are sticking to that.

“Only students already under Beam would benefit from the State, not everyone. If students are not under the programme they should pay US$5 penalty fee per subject. For efficiency purposes we cannot always continue extending registration each year and that is the reason why we gave parents a lengthy period to look for fees,” he said.

Minister Coltart said the state of the economy meant parents should strive to educate their children.

“Because of a tight fiscal squeeze, Government can only pay for orphans and other vulnerable students. Parents should devise methods to ensure their children write examinations,” he said.

Minister Coltart said the Government was doing enough by subsidising the students’ registration fees compared to Cambridge examinations.

Ordinary and Advanced Level pupils are required to pay US$10 and US$20 per subject respectively.

Zimsec public relations manager Mr Ezekiel Pasipamire added: “There is no deadline extension but there is a normal facility always afforded to candidates registering for the November examinations.

“Students must register through the late entry registration process whereby they have to pay a penalty fee.

“As far as Zimsec is concerned, there is no confusion with regard to the registration process as centres, parents, guardians and candidates were fully aware of the registration deadline.”

Mr Pasipamire said the examination body was still studying the registration levels and would soon announce the total number of registered candidates.

Last year, thousands of prospective candidates failed to sit for their examinations owing to “exorbitant” fees.

It is highly likely that the same scenario could be experienced this year.

7 June 2010

By Students Solidarity Trust (Solidary)

General Comment

Zimbabwe’s higher and tertiary education is still reeling in a myriad of problems hinged on underfunding by the government.

Provision of education is universally the prime responsibility of the government yet the current inclusive government has a lackadaisical approach to the everyday challenges in the sector emanating largely from underfunding. Yester year problems, the very problems associated with the rudimentary era of Zimbabwe dollar “burning” of money and the well documented political turmoil persist. They include unaffordable tuition fees; closure of campus residence at the University of Zimbabwe, a mundane soldierly student funding cadetship scheme, heavy handedness of ‘law’ enforcement agents when reacting to students’ protests, dilapidation of learning and research infrastructure; shortages of qualified lecturers, reference books, computers, stationary for administrative use and limited access to internet. Minister Mudenge of Higher and Tertiary Education is conspicuous with his silence and absence in spear-heading an all stakeholder collective initiative towards the resolution of the challenges faced by higher tertiary education as is being done by his counter part in the Ministry of Education Sports, Arts and Culture Senator David Coltart through the Education Transition Fund that caters for basic education.

MEDIA WATCH
Examinations
As the deadline for examinations loomed, there was chaos at some schools owing to the decision by some school authorities in Bulawayo to move the closing date for registration forward by a week. The Chronicle of May 18 reported that school authorities argued that they needed time to sort out the registration forms before sending them to Harare. This begs the question as to how centralised the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council [ZIMSEC] is and whether their provincial and district offices are of no use where examination fees are concerned. On average students write at least 8 subjects at Ordinary Level with each subject costing USD 10. Advanced Level students paid USD 20 for their subjects which should be at least 3. The Advanced Level students also have to pay USD 15 for a compulsory English Communication course. Several years of little economic activity have resulted in many parents unable to pay these fees due to several factors such as unemployment and very low salaries they are getting from government and the private sector. They therefore live from hand to mouth and any arbitrary shift in dates will surely throw them off course where budgets are concerned.

College Watch
The rise in sexually transmitted infections in colleges has led to calls for more information to be provided to students on sexual and reproductive health. The Herald of May 17 quotes Students and Youth Working on Reproductive Health Action Team [SAYWHAT], as revealing that 65% of students in tertiary institutions did not have adequate information on sexual and reproductive health. The research also highlights the little attention given to women’s sanitary wear as they are using rugs from campus bed mattresses and old pieces of cloth as sanitary wear because retailed products were beyond their reach. Due to lack of resources within the education system, the women’s sanitary wear has either fallen off the agenda or is now very low down on the authorities’ agenda of revamping education. However, this may have a long-term effect as several young women were now susceptible to side effects and cancers associated with using some of the materials noted above.

Sunday News

6 June 2010

Talking sport with Phineas Mukwazo

OVER the years Zimbabwean athletes have carried the Zimbabwean flag with pride when participating both regional and internationally.

Some of the world-acclaimed athletes who come to mind in that regard are Brian Dzingai, Lewis Banda, Tendai Chimusasa, Savieri Ngidhi, Cuthbert Nyasango, Samukeliso Moyo, Young Talkmore Nyongani, Sharon Tawengwa, Tabitha Tsatsa, George Majaji, Tendai Chimusasa, the list is endless. Recently 34-year-old Stephen Muzhinji further underscored the competitive nature and resilience of our athletes when he successfully retained the grueling Comrades Marathon title in South Africa. Some of the afore-mentioned athletes have since retired or are on the verge of calling it quits. It is, therefore, incumbent upon the athletics authorities in this country to close gap by emphasising on the equivalent of what in soccer circles is known as a vibrant junior development policy.

It is with that in mind, that it is disturbing when one learns that standing in between such benevolent developmental initiatives are useless squabbles that at best border on sheer selfishness.

I was privileged to be in Botswana for the well attended and anticipated Confederation of African Athletics Southern Region and 2010 Youth Olympic Games Qualifiers at the University of Botswana Stadium in Gaborone recently. I was impressed about how youth athletes are valued in other countries. It has to be said that while our athletes had to scrounge for transport to take them to the Games, Lesotho athletes traveled in a bus belonging to their equivalent of our Sports and Recreation Commission, while the team from Swaziland traveled in the comfort of a bus provided by David Coltart’s equivalent ministry here. That is how it is supposed to be.

Disturbing as it were, elsewhere in our sports pages this week we carry a story that the young innocent Zimbabwe athletes could have missed participating in Youth Olympics Games qualifiers in Botswana last month after the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee(ZOC) allegedly withdrew funding for the trip at the last minute following a misunderstanding with the National Athletics Associations of Zimbabwe(NAAZ).

It has since emerged that NAAZ were left clutching at straws when ZOC withdrew their support at the last minute and the athletics governing mother body had to resort to the begging bowl to complement their meager resources so that the under-18 athletes could make the trip.

Sources within the athletics camp that traveled with the team to Botswana spoke of personality clashes pitting individuals at ZOC and NAAZ, although the blame was squarely laid on the former.

It can also be noted that these were the same underprivileged youngsters who could not prepare adequately for the final qualifiers. It is on record that the youngsters failed to go to camp last December and take part in the South African Yellow Pages as part of their preparations for the finale. We therefore implore both the ZOC and NAAZ, as we have done in the past, to settle their differences once and for all for the benefit of the development of athletics in this country.

We will not proffer any solutions this time around, but we can only advise that great leaders never set themselves above their followers except in carrying responsibilities.
This can only be done if both recognise their responsibilities in the whole jigsaw puzzle; ZOC sticking to its mandate of financing developmental and talent identification initiatives by NAAZ.

A final word of advice should be that:
“In a controversy, the instant we feel angry, we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.”

Herald

June 4 2010

Harare — Confusion surrounds the November 2010 Ordinary and Advanced level examination registration deadline, with senior Government officials yesterday issuing conflicting statements.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said Government had extended the deadline for students under the Basic Education Assistance Module.

However, his Deputy Lazarus Dokora said the extension covered all students who failed to register before Zimsec’s May 28 deadline.

In an interview, Minister Coltart said: “Those who failed to register because of inefficiency and are not impoverished are not going to benefit. This is strictly for the disadvantaged who meet the criteria utilised by Beam.”

He said Cabinet was still to consider the amount of money needed to help disadvantaged students and Beam officials were being consulted on the matter.

“We understand that there might have been some students that failed to register because of poverty so we are in the process of establishing an extension of the deadline to cater for them,” he said.

Minister Coltart said they needed to stick to the deadline for professional reasons and to bring order to Zimbabwe’s education sector.

“The deadline we set this year will help stabilise Zimsec,” the minister said.

He said the Government was in the process of determining the exact number of registered candidates to ensure proper planning for the public examinations.

“There is need to contract printing houses, some external to Zimbabwe, that is why we need to determine with accuracy how many students have registered,” Minister Coltart said.

He said this year’s deadline should not have ignited concern because it had always been the norm before the decade of economic decline.

However, speaking at a function to mark 100 years since the establishment of Chiedza Primary School in Mbare, Deputy Minister Dokora said: “All students left out will register through the late entry window period.

“The window period will run from the initial May 28 deadline to June 11 and all students registering under this arrangement will have to pay a US$5 late registration fee per subject.”

He said all schools were aware of the late entry arrangement and the Government did not need to issue a circular to that effect.

Deputy Minister Dokora dismissed reports that many students were shunning the local examination board preferring international boards like the Cambridge Examinations Council.

He said the latter were expensive and beyond the reach of many.

Social Welfare Minister Paurina Mpariwa added that Unicef had provided part of the money to pay exam fees for students under Beam.

“Those disadvantaged persons who failed to pay for registration will benefit from the US$20 million rollout that we received from Unicef,” she said.

Exam fees remained unchanged this year at US$10 and US$20 per Ordinary and Advanced Level subject respectively.

Zimsec gave May 28 as the deadline for registration which many parents and guardians said was “unrealistic”.

“The Cambridge deadline is end of June. Why should it be more flexible for a foreign exams body than ours?” asked one parent yesterday.

Last year, tens of thousands of prospective candidates failed to register after failing to raise the exam fees.

Associated Press

By Enoch Muchinjo

3 June 2010

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Brazil’s World Cup players gave Zimbabweans a rare chance to celebrate Wednesday, as fans filled the National Sports Stadium to watch stars like Kaka and Robinho play the African nation in a friendly.

Almost 60,000 supporters, some wearing bright yellow Brazil shirts, saw the five-time world champion beat Zimbabwe 3-0 with goals by Michel Bastos, Robinho and Elano.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai watched on from brown armchairs after shaking hands with Brazil’s players before the kickoff.

“It’s a nice country,” midfielder Gilberto Silva said after Brazil’s first match in Zimbabwe. “The atmosphere was great and we enjoyed the hospitality.”

Inspired by World Cup fever in neighboring South Africa, hundreds of cheering supporters surrounded Brazil’s team bus as it left. One held up a sign that read: “Mr. Dunga, where is Ronaldinho?” in reference to coach Dunga’s omission of the AC Milan midfielder from his World Cup squad.

The presence of football’s most famous national team was a rare treat for the fans. Sport in Zimbabwe has been overshadowed in recent years by political troubles and a major economic collapse.

“It was a great spectacle. It was nice to see the stadium packed to the brim,” sports minister David Coltart said. “Zimbabwe played well. I’m sorry we didn’t get a goal, I thought we deserved at least one.”

Manchester City striker Benjani Mwaruwari captained the Zimbabwe team and said his players performed well despite their lack of preparation.

“We played a good game considering we only came together on Monday as a team,” he said.

The Zimbabwe government has not said how much the Brazilians were paid to visit, only that it met around 40 percent of the cost — which is thought to be significant. Sponsors put up the remainder of the money.

“Look, it’s very important that we demonstrate to the world that Zimbabwe is a peaceful country and that we can organize big matches,” Coltart said.

Members of the India and Sri Lanka cricket teams, in Zimbabwe for a tri-nation limited-overs series, were also at the match.

The Brazilian squad was given a rousing welcome by local fans when it arrived in Harare on Tuesday night on a charter flight from Johannesburg — where it is preparing for the World Cup.

Zimbabwe is just the fifth African team, along with Cameroon, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa, to play against Brazil in the last 30 years.

Chronicle

2 June 2010

Czech Republic Embassy will hand over the book, Kolobeja written by historian Pathisa Nyathi to the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture.

The Minister of Education Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart, will receive the book from the Ambassador of Czech Republic to Zimbabwe at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Friday.

The Czech Republic Embassy sponsored the penning of the book.

The guest of honour will be Professor Phineas Makhurane. Also to give an address will be deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Moses Mzila.

The book written by Nyathi, is a compilation of Ndebele folktales, which were told in the past by elders in the society.

In an interview, Nyathi said the book comprises well-known folktales in the Ndebele society.

“The reason why I decided to come up with the compilation is that I realised that most young people don’t know folktales, hence I thought it was wise for me do the compilation and preserve our own folktales.

“If you look at what is happening in most societies, televisions have replaced grandmothers because they have become the source of entertainment whereas in the traditional society they used to tell folktales which were of great importance to the society.

“They carried societal values that used to guide children from misdemeanors. I hope that this book will play the same role in entertaining and educating the young,” he said.
The book was nominated for the 2009 National Arts Merit Award.

Different artistes in the city are expected to attend the event.