Cricinfo
January 8, 2010

The Zimbabwean government has dismissed suggestions made by New Zealand Cricket that its tour later this year might be called off because of concerns over the health facilities in Zimbabwe.

NZC’s chief executive Justin Vaughan and New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association head Heath Mills both spoke out about the “the collapse of public heath system in the African nation” and warned without adequate facilities, the tour was unlikely to happen.

But Zimbabwe’s sports minister David Coltart told Harare’s Independent the New Zealanders had an obligation to visit. “I think it’s unfortunate because while we don’t have a first-world health system, we still have very good medical facilities in this country. Our private health system is excellent, and for those who can afford, service delivery is excellent.

“The cholera epidemic that affected our nation in 2008-09 is a thing of the past. It’s clear to me that … we are improving all the time. Ask people who travel to Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. I believe in many respects Zimbabwe is a far healthier environment. I don’t believe there is any justification to use health grounds to stop a team from coming here.”

However, Coltart’s optimism is not shared by those on the ground who report Harare’s sewage system has all but collapsed and claim raw sewage is now seeping into the city’s main water source, leading to fears of renewed cholera outbreaks. Last year, more than 4000 people died of the disease in Zimbabwe.

Coltart went on the state the political concerns which caused a planned tour in 2009 to be postponed no longer applied. “There’s still a long way to travel, but it’s an unrecognisable country compared to this time last year. There are fewer reports of human rights violations. It’s by no means perfect, but things have greatly improved.”

Zimbabwe Independent
By Faith Zaba
8th January 2010

Education minister David Coltart wants to set up 20 academic centres of excellence this year to cater for bright disadvantaged children who will receive full scholarships.

Coltart told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that two such centres would be established in each province with the best education facilities.

This, he said, would help bridge the gap between government education and elitist private education.

“We are looking at ways of catering for the disadvantaged children. If you are a bright kid, the danger is that you will never realise your talent,” Coltart said. “Only a few can afford non-government schools. We are developing a mechanism that will bridge that gap between government and the non-governmental education system.”

Coltart said there were local and British organisations that have expressed interest in funding the project, with the Chinese willing to take over one of the schools.

“We will establish one girls and one boys school in each province. We are targeting schools where we will channel money towards and rehabilitate and then identify the best teachers and heads in government for these academies. We will also establish a scholarship fund,” he said.

Coltart said the next phase would be to establish 20 primary academic centres in 2011 and then vocational centres for the non-academic students.

His long-term vision, Coltart said, would be to have an equal number of academic and vocational training centres in the country so that all differently gifted children would be taken care of.

His ministry has raised more than US$30 million for the Education Transition Fund, whose main funder is Unicef, and its first priority is the provision of textbooks in primary schools.

At the moment the textbook ratio at primary schools varies between 15 children to one and 36 children to one at rural schools and Coltart wants the ratio to go down to two children to one book.

Coltart said his ministry would this year buy more than nine million textbooks for primary schools.

He is still to get funding for textbooks for secondary schools.

On the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (Zimsec), Coltart admitted that it would take years before credibility of local examinations is restored.

“Zimsec was in a complete shambles when I took over. We have managed to restore a measure of financial viability to Zimsec, although exams were delayed. But it will take time before credibility is restored,” he said.

Zimbabwe Independent
By Enock Muchinjo
8th January 2010

Zimbabwe’s inclusive government has dismissed the New Zealand cricket board’s health fears which could, for the second time in as many years, prevent their team from touring here in July.
Reports in the international media last week said the New Zealanders are likely to pull out of their rescheduled tour of Zimbabwe following “the collapse of public heath system in the African nation”.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Justin Vaughan and the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association boss Heath Mills expressed their concerns over the proposed trip, which they postponed last year on political and moral grounds.

This time around, the Kiwis have dropped the political concerns, apparently due to the reforms made by the inclusive government in which MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai is prime minister while his long-time rival Robert Mugabe remains president.

“Medical facilities are a concern. You can go to countries and protect yourself against infectious diseases and the like as long as you’ve got a decent standard of hygiene and healthcare services available to you,” Vaughan told New Zealand’s Sunday Stars-Times.

“We’re not in possession of all the facts quite yet, but it appears that (health) could be quite a significant concern. Certainly, NZC is non-negotiable on the matter of putting our team at risk at any time.”

In an interview with IndependentSport this week, Sports minister David Coltart allayed the fears, saying the New Zealanders had an obligation to help Zimbabwe cricket’s well-received rebuilding exercise.

“Well, I think it’s unfortunate if that’s the reason (for not touring) because while we don’t have a first-world health system, we still have very good medical facilities in this country. Our private health system is excellent, and for those who can afford, service delivery is excellent,” Coltart told IndependentSport.

“The cholera epidemic that affected our nation in 2008-09 is a thing of the past. It’s clear to me that under Dr (Henry) Madzorera (minister of Health) we are improving all the time.”

Coltart said even after a turbulent period in the country’s history, health-wise Zimbabwe still remained safer than most countries.

“Ask people who travel to Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and to an extent Pakistan. I believe in many respects Zimbabwe is a far healthier environment,” he said, adding:

“The ambassador of Australia, the country closest to New Zealand, is here and can testify. We have tens of thousands of foreign nationals living here. The Cosafa football tournament (late last year), in which we hosted 13 national teams, went without a hitch. We had the Bangladesh and Kenya cricket teams here without incidents. I don’t believe there is any justification to use health grounds to stop a team from coming here.”

Although the political situation in the country has improved, and concerns over security have largely been a smokescreen, Coltart made references to the issues.

“In the country there is still a long way to travel,” he said. “’But it’s an unrecognisable situation in the country compared to this time last year. There are fewer reports of human rights violations. It’s by no means perfect, but things have greatly improved.

“In terms of safety, this is one of the safest countries to play sport. We don’t have bombs exploding, and the crime rate is very low compared to South Africa. In terms of security, Zimbabwe is much safer than most Test playing nations.”

A spokesman for the New Zealand foreign ministry, Murray McCully, said a decision had not yet been made about the tour. Coltart will lobby the government to persuade the Blackcaps to tour.

“I will certainly take it up with my political counterparts in New Zealand. As for the New Zealand Cricket Board, my message to them is that Zimbabwe is a safe place and they are most welcome.”

Asked what attitude he expected from the New Zealand government, he said: “I don’t know, I don’t want to speculate, but I hope I will be given a sympathetic hearing.”

SW Radio Africa
By Lance Guma
8 January 2010

Teachers have threatened to go on strike if their salaries are not raised to US$600 per month from the current US$150. The President of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) Takavafira Zhou said their members would not turn up for work next week if they received no clarification on how much they will be earning. Ever since Finance Minister Tendai Biti presented his budget in December last year, there has been no word on how much teachers would earn.

Zhou said they had given the inclusive government enough time to work on their remuneration and expected their salaries to at least match the poverty datum line which he said was US$600. The school term begins next week on Tuesday but again like most school openings over the past years it is not clear whether the teachers will report for duty because of the pay dispute. Zhou said they had to issue the strike threat to ensure government dealt with their plight.

PTUZ Secretary General Raymond Majongwe slammed the government’s attitude ‘of behaving like Father Christmas and just give us the salaries they want to,’ without consulting them. ‘If we are the recipients of the salaries why should they be hidden from us,’ he added. He said they expected government to prove they were serious about the plight of teachers in the country. Majongwe said as government revenues rise, they expected an improvement in their working conditions.

The larger Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) has meanwhile said it is seeking a meeting with government officials next week. They want the issue of salaries, and the grading system that will also determine salary structures, to be clarified. Education Minister David Coltart is quoted as saying he did not know how much the teachers would be earning and referred questions on the matter to Finance Minister Biti.

Coltart meanwhile announced that he wants to set up 20 academic centres of excellence this year to cater for bright but disadvantaged children who will receive full scholarships. In an interview with the weekly Zimbabwe Independent newspaper, Coltart said that two centres would be established in each province and these will have the best education facilities. The idea he said was to bridge the gap between government and private education. Coltart also said he planned on setting up 20 primary academic centres in 2011 followed later by vocational centres for the non-academic students.

Responding to the scheme Majongwe said it was a noble idea but would not work if the Minister did not engage all the stakeholders. Several things had to be clarified, such as how the beneficiaries would be identified. He said so far none of the teaching unions had been consulted on the idea and how it would be implemented. Majongwe also said in the past such scholarship funds had been abused to benefit people aligned to certain politicians or political parties.

The Herald
By Fatima Bulla
8th January 2010

Government has revealed that it will soon task the Sport and Recreation Commission to look into allegations of misconduct within the Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said although he would not directly deal with the matter, he would task SRC chairman Joseph James and his board to inquire about the allegations.

“These allegations have to be investigated and as such to follow the correct legal process it is the mandate of the SRC who have the jurisdiction to do so as empowered by the SRC Act.

“If this is found to be true, then the SRC is empowered to suspend the board, but at the moment we would not want to pre-empt the process,”
Coltart said.

Coltart said it would be wrong for people to believe that the ZNBWCB is at par with the SRC arguing that “boxing is listed number 13 as one of the sports which are recorded in the first schedule of the Act and therefore subject to the Commission.

“Boxing falls under the board’s control as outlined in section 30 of the SRC Act.

In this section, the Act states that: where the board considers that any registered national association (a) has ceased to operate as a national association or (b) has failed to comply with any provision of this Act or (c) has conducted itself in a manner which is contrary to the national interests; the Board may after affording the association concerned an opportunity of making representations in the matter, do either or both of the following:

l Suspend all or any of its officers

l Direct the director-general to strike the association from the register.

“Where the board has taken any action referred to in the subparagraph
(i) or (ii) of subsection (i) the Minister may on the recommendation of, or after consultation with, the board appoint a committee to administer the affairs of the association concerned,” Coltart said.

The minister said if the Commission found out that there were fraudulent medical papers issued to boxers it meant there are people acting against national interests and thus tarnishing the image of the country.

He however, said all that would be investigated by the Commission. But Coltart welcomed the invitation to meet WBO vice-president Andrew Smale to map the way forward on the boxers’ plight.

Smale has worked with the ZNBWCB to promote Zimbabwean boxers and invites them to international fights.

He had indicated that there is need to urgently assess the way boxing is being run in the county following reports that local pugilists including Ali Phiri failed medical tests in Namibia last year.

The board has come under fire especially from boxers who are crying foul over the way the sport is being run.

ZNBWCB boss Richard Hondo has however, vehemently denied that his board which includes Tobaiwa Mudede and Patrick Mukondiwa has failed to deliver.

The Herald
7th January 2010

Parents and guardians with children attending private schools in Harare have blasted the school authorities for charging outrageous fees without any justification in a stabilising economy.

Most parents yesterday said Government had let loose most schools that were hiding behind the “private school” tag to justify their outrageous fee hikes and appealed to Government to intervene to protect the interests of children.

But Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart yesterday said it was unfair for parents to complain, as they were not forced to send their children to private schools. He added that there was no Government policy on price controls, which applied to private schools but they (private schools) were supposed to apply to his Ministry for guidance.

“There is no government policy on price controls and parents also have to keep it in mind that they are not forced to send their children to specific private schools,” said Minister Coltart.

“What government only does is to make sure the fees are regionally competitive because we will be looking at their fees applications in the context of regional fees in Lusaka, Blantyre and Polokwane. If they are above those that is when we can intervene.”

A snap survey by The Herald has shown that most private and trust schools were charging fees between US$400 and US$1 200 for secondary school students while mission schools were requesting less than US$50 in the rural areas. Dominican Convent Senior school is demanding about US$650 while St Ignatius in Chishawasha and Chegato High in Mberengwa are charging about US$400 boarding fees.

St Peter Claver in Chishawasha charges US$20 for day scholars.

“Government should not allow these private schools to continue charging exorbitant fees to discriminate against those with low salaries.

“Uncertainty in government schools about teachers’ strikes had forced me to consider sending my children to private schools but now I can’t afford it because their fees are too high,” said Mrs Tracy Mpemhi of Glen View.

“We don’t understand how government continues to turn a blind eye on these private schools which are milking us.Government should give a fees ceiling of not more than US$500 for private schools. My daughter is at Chisipite and we are being asked to pay about US$1 000 for a day scholar. There is no justification at all,” said a woman who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Herald
7th January 2010

Grade Seven results will be out tomorrow while marking of Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations started on Monday, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said yesterday.

He said Zimsec officials had assured him that Grade Seven results would “definitely” be out tomorrow.

The Minister said Government provided money to allow for completion of marking of the examinations for both levels.

“Although there were logistical problems in the administering of the examinations, let me inform the nation that I had a meeting with Zimsec officials on Tuesday and they told me that results will be available on Friday.

“The marking of O and A Level examinations commenced on Monday as scheduled,” said Minister Coltart

The minister said parents with children going to Form One must not panic as his ministry, with the help of different stakeholders, had secured money to ensure the smooth administering of the marking process.

“I understand most parents and guardians were panicking since schools are opening on Tuesday but let me assure them that all is now well as far as examinations are concerned,” he said.

Ordinary and Advanced level exams’ marking will end on February 13 and results are likely to be released early March.

Most parents with children starting Form One were failing to plan for their children as Zimsec had delayed the release of the results.

Traditionally, Grade Seven results were released before Christmas to give parents enough time to prepare for Form One enrolment, but administrative problems on the part of the examinations body resulted in the delays.

The Herald
By Felex Share
6th January 2010

THE payment of incentives to teachers by parents will continue until Government is able to offer them viable salaries, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said yesterday.

However, Minister Coltart warned school authorities to involve parents in coming up with the incentives to avoid gross abuse of the facility.

In an interview yesterday, Minister Coltart said while Government was “preparing a viable salary” for teachers, payment of “reasonable” incentives by parents was the only way Government and parents would avoid staff exodus.

“I am told Government is not in a position to pay them (teachers) viable salaries but while this is being processed, payment of reasonable incentives must continue for us to keep teachers at work.

“Our wish is to scrap incentives as they have created inequalities in the education system as well as increasing tension between teachers and parents but there is a danger that if we cut them now, we may see a massive exodus of the teaching staff,” he said.

Minister Coltart, however, said his ministry would make sure that school authorities complied with the stipulated regulations on incentives as the system has been abused by most school authorities.

“Parents have been milked a lot so there is need for us to make sure that this does not happen again. Procedures like getting the approval of parents have to be followed not just declaring to parents,” said Minister Coltart.

Minister Coltart’s sentiments come in the wake of last year’s reports that some schools were demanding exorbitant amounts of as much as US$20 per month per student as incentives for teachers and defaulters were being sent home or not allowed to attend lessons in some instances.

Teachers’ unions yesterday said they were fully geared for the first term of the year, which begins next Tuesday, but pleaded with Government to divulge what they would be getting before schools open.

Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe urged Government to announce the exact figures they would be getting from Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s budget to map the way forward.

“We are fully prepared for the forthcoming term but we want to know what we will be taking home because it is traditional that from the Budget announced by the Minister of Finance we get something.

“We want to know if it is a total rejection or not because we do not want a situation whereby we start and leave the teaching midway,” said Mr Majongwe.

Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association secretary-general Mr Richard Gundane said their members were prepared to go to work but wanted to know what Government was offering them.

“As it is New Year, we are anticipating a lot from the Government and we are keen to know what is in store for us since the Budget was announced last year,” said Mr Gundane.

Perennial strikes over salaries by teachers have in recent years characterised the opening of schools, a situation which has affected the country’s education system.

Zim Daily
By Nozipho Maseko
Wednesday January 6, 2010

HARARE -Teachers yesterday demanded that Government pay them a minimum salary of US$600 and threatened not to return to work when schools open for the first term next Tuesday. Zimbabwe has more than 90 000 teachers and if Government agrees to give them US$600, this would translate to more than US$55 million, which is half the country’s total tax revenue monthly. The teachers claimed they were not aware of their salaries and were concerned with the Government’s silence on the matter since the announcement of the budget last December. They also wanted to know if their calls to have salary structures had been addressed.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Mr Takavafira Zhou yesterday said they would not report for duty next week because they had for long agreed to go along with the “proposed road map plan” set out by Minister of Education, Sport and Culture Senator David Coltart. “We have given the Inclusive Government enough time and a long rope to tie itself on. It’s high time they give us salaries above Poverty Datum Line meaning anything not less than US$600.

“Right now we don’t know what we are getting and if we get the same $150, what will happen next. We have to warn them now,” said Mr Zhou.He said they have since petitioned their parent Ministry, which yesterday confirmed receiving such a document.

However, Minister Coltart yesterday said he did not have the mandate to divulge what teachers would get this month and referred all questions to Finance Minister Tendai Biti and the Public Service Commission.”I think the best person to answer their questions would be the Finance Minister as he is the one who presented the budget. I do not know what they would be getting as I am not the one who pays them,” said Minister Coltart.

Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) president Mrs Tendai Chikoore said her union would meet Government team leaders next week after realising that the rest of the civil service was concerned by the silence shown by Government on salaries.”If teachers strike, their move will be justified because we have given them enough time to sort out everything. Since the budget was announced, we expected to know what we will be earning and if the issue of being graded has been addressed, but up to now they have been quiet.

“We will meet team leaders from the Government early next week and that is when I will give more details,” said Mrs Chikoore.

An official from the Teachers Union of Zimbabwe said it was high time Government awarded them “viable salaries” as they had been patient for a long time.

“We will soon find it irresistible to embark on an industrial action. Not reporting for duty on Tuesday will be the last resort if Government fails to give us what we want,” said the official.

In recent years, the teachers have been downing tools at the beginning of most terms, but last year, Government managed to prevent a nationwide strike despite not being able to meet the demands laid out by the educators.

Government said it would do everything it could to raise money.

Efforts to get a comment from Finance Minster Tendai Biti were fruitless, as his mobile phone was not reachable.

Presenting the budget proposals last December, Minister Biti said the Government had set aside US$600 million to cater for the civil servants’ salaries.

He said the Government workers would be graded according to rank, skills and experience.

The Herald
Editorial
6 January 2010

Harare — Government should deal with the culture of dependence that has become entrenched in Zimbabweans.

A lot of people think that the Government should provide them with everything from quality education, farming inputs to working capital for businesses.

But the truth of the matter is that Government cannot shoulder all this burden on its own and those who can afford should simply fund themselves and leave the State to take care of the vulnerable lot who are not able to meet their obligations.

This has been prompted by the announcement by Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart that Government will not increase tuition fees at the start of the new term next week.

The fees remain at US$5 for pupils attending a primary school in high-density suburbs and US$10 for those at secondary schools in the same suburbs.

Parents with children at primary schools in low-density suburbs will pay US$10 while those with children at secondary schools will pay US$20.

It is understandable Government has taken this decision on the basis that parents were not able to pay any more than what they were paying last year.

But are these fees being charged at Government schools adequate for them to provide quality education to pupils?

We believe some parents can pay more than this if they had their priorities right. A lot of parents spent more money on trinkets and other expenses such as airtime, hairdos and even beer than the paltry fees being charged by Government.

It is not uncommon for some people to spend as much as US$50 per month on mobile phone airtime.
Yet these are the same parents or guardians who complain bitterly that they cannot afford to pay the fees being asked for at Government schools.

It is clear that the Government cannot continue giving free education to every child in Zimbabwe, free inputs to every farmer in Zimbabwe or free health care to every patient in Zimbabwe.

Even with education, agriculture and health getting the largest allocations in the National Budget, the money is not enough.

This means that parents, farmers and patients have to dig into their pockets to supplement whatever is made available by the State.

Even in the early 1980s when the Zanu-PF Government oversaw a tremendous expansion in education, it was made clear that parents would chip in. Rural parents helped build new classrooms while their urban counterparts paid levies.

It should be the case again today because every parent desires quality education for their daughter or son. But that quality education is not possible if parents fail to pay even between US$5 and US$20 per term.

Last year Bulawayo council expressed shock that only 471 out of 37 734 pupils attending municipal-run schools paid their second term tuition fees.

A council report covering 29 council primary schools showed parents were even failing to pay the slashed fees, a development that councillors feared would hamper the revival of the education sector.

Surely, even if one sold tomatoes at the market one would be able to afford these fees if one’s priorities are right. Parents need to value the education of their children and plan their finances to meet the costs.

Most of today’s leaders were educated the hard way. Their parents had to sell cattle and other assets in order to send their children to school. They had to deny themselves some luxuries to save money for school fees.