The Standard
By Beaven Tapureta
14 June 2009

THE Zimbabwe International Book Fair returns to the Harare Gardens at the end of July with Professor Hope Sadza, the Vice-Chancellor of Women’s University in Africa, set to provide the keynote address.
The ZIBF will run from July 27 to August 1, under the theme “Reading and Writing Zimbabwe”.

ZIBF Acting Executive Director Greenfield Chilongo said this year’s event is likely to be officially opened by the Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart during the Indaba conference.
The announcement of the dates for this year’s Book Fair comes hardly a month after a new ZIBF board was elected.
It is chaired by University of Zimbabwe lecturer Ruby Magosvongwe. Her deputy is Cletus Ngwaru of the Zimbabwe Book Publishers’ Association. Other members of the new board include Gondai Vutuza of the Booksellers’ Association of Zimbabwe, Dr Rosemary Moyana an educationist at the UZ, Dr Xavier Cerelse (scientist and author with SIRDC) a member of the Zimbabwe Academic and Non-Fiction Writers Association, Professor Zifikile Muguni-Gambahaya, an author and academic (UZ) and Obert Kutadzaushe, a publisher.

“We are seeking to come up with something new. Our objective is to give the readers and stakeholders what they want and provide an opportunity for them to meet some of the leading authors as well as discuss current challenges in the book sector,” Chilongo said.

The return of the Book Fair is expected to send a message to potential foreign exhibitors that the book industry in Zimbabwe is still alive and that new works are still being produced.

“The grant received from the Culture Fund has made it possible for us to ensure that the visitors to the Book Fair are admitted free of charge,” Chilongo said.

The Indaba conference, which provides a platform for publishers, academics, authors, copyright administrators, consumers and book sellers to debate topical developments in their industry, will be held at the Crown Plaza Monomotapa on July 27 and 28.

Chilongo also said the six-day event would cater for school children.

“We have revived the Children’s Reading Tent so that school children, the writers, readers and leaders of tomorrow, develop a reading culture at an early age,” he said.

The tent, a place where children read and listen to modern stories and folktales from experienced storytellers and teachers, was last held several years ago under the auspices of the Zimbabwe Book Development Council.

This year’s theme Reading and Writing Zimbabwe is intended to focus much more on the diverse Zimbabwean literature and voices.

At last year’s Book Fair there were no exhibitions due to the shortages of cash and high cost of transport but the Indaba workshops proceeded as before and provoked spirited debate.

This year’s Book Fair will include book launches, Live Literature, the ZBPA Literary Awards, writers’ workshops and literary debates, book draws as well as exhibition of books, magazines, journals and other artistic creations by stakeholders.

The Chronicle
Chronicle Reporter
13 June 2009

THE Government has finally given in to pressure from both parents and school authorities to allow pupils that failed last year’s Ordinary Level examinations to continue with Lower Sixth lessons while they write supplementary examinations.
In an interview yesterday, the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart said the pupils that failed the examinations will be allowed to continue with their Lower Sixth lessons while they write supplementary examinations.
Minister Coltart who had earlier this week said that the Government had not changed its position to have the pupils who failed ejected from classes, said the new position was that the pupils should attain five O-level subjects before sitting for the A-level examinations.
“They can continue with their Lower Sixth classes and write supplementary examinations but they will not be allowed to sit for their A-Level examinations until they attain five O-level passes,” said Minister Coltart.
In an earlier interview, the Bulawayo Provincial Education Director, Mr Dan Moyo, had said pupils who failed the 2008 examinations would be allowed to supplement.
Mr Moyo said pupils who failed Maths and English but had proceeded to Lower Sixth basing on the 2008 August results, would be given a chance to re-sit for the subjects in July.
“We encouraged school headmasters to be fair on pupils and also take into consideration the high fees that were paid by parents under the harsh economic environment. Therefore, we have decided to give the Lower Sixth Forms who failed some essential subjects to register for the June ZIMSEC examinations,” he said.
Mr Moyo revealed that the deadline for the June examinations closed yesterday but failing O Level pupils had been encouraged to register starting Monday 8 June 2009.
“Hopefully, they pass the June examinations because if they fail, we might consider other means of correcting the situation. The reason we want O-level passes in both Mathematics and English is that they gain entry to tertiary colleges,” he explained.
Mr Moyo said the Government took a soft stance on O-levels because ZIMSEC delayed releasing the 2008 final examination results, which only came out last week.
ZIMSEC delayed releasing results due to a 2008 teachers’ strike that dragged for a year. Further, the examinations body had no funds to pay examination markers on time.
However, schools in Bulawayo have recorded satisfactory results for both O-and A-level results for the November/December 2008 examinations.
Although schools this week said they had not yet finalised their assessment, early indications show that the pass-rate was generally good considering the problems that were encountered in the education sector last year.
Turning to the acute shortage of teachers, Mr Moyo said the Government should review salaries to as much as US$500 to persuade teachers to rejoin the public service.
He said Bulawayo still required 675 secondary school teachers.

Zimbabwe Telegraph
By GETRUDE GUMEDE
Published: June 12, 2009

ZIMBABWE-BULAWAYO-Zimbabwe recorded one of the worst Ordinary Level pass rate in the history of the country prompting the government to allow pupils who failed last year’s Ordinary Level examinations to continue with Lower Sixth lessons and write supplementary examinations Zimbabwe Telegraph Reports.

Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart said pupils who fail some of their O Levels have always been allowed to write supplementary examinations.

“They can continue with their Lower Sixth classes and write supplementary examinations but they will not be allowed to sit for their Advanced Level examinations until they attain five O Level passes,” said Senator Coltart.

Delays in the marking of O Level examination papers last year because of teacher’s strikes over poor remuneration saw O Level pupils proceeding to Lower Sixth form before their results were published.
Before government could establish the pass rate, Coltart was quoted in media reports saying pupils who failed to obtain five Olevel passes would be discontinued from Advanced Level to supplement their O Level passes.

However there has been a dramatic change of tone after government realised that Advanced Level classes would be left empty if government went a head with its stance of ejecting those who did not pass Ordinary Level from classes.

A high-ranking official in the Education sector said pupils who failed the 2008 examinations would be allowed to supplement.

“We encouraged school headmasters to be fair on pupils and also take into consideration the high fees that were paid by parents under the harsh economic environment. Therefore, we have decided to give the Lower Sixth Forms who failed some essential subjects to register for the June ZIMSEC examinations,” he said.

ZIMSEC delayed releasing results due to a 2008 teachers’ strike that dragged for a year.

Furthermore, the examinations body had no funds to pay examination markers on time.

However, schools in Bulawayo have recorded satisfactory results for both O and A Level results for the November/December 2008 examinations.

Radio VOP
12 June 2009

HARARE, – The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) is alarmed that schools have registered failed A Level Students, a situation which will seriously compromise Zimbabwe’s education standards.

The government early this year gave schools the go ahead to enrol A Level students, using mid term results.

In an interview with RadioVOP, PTUZ President, Takavafira Zhou said:

“Most of the students who proceeded to A level have a chain of U’s and surely what are their parents toiling for? We do not want the quality of education in the country to be compromised.”

“Last year’s end of year national Ordinary Level results are dismal, apparently the majority of kids who registered for ‘A’ level using their mid term results performed poorly. As the PTUZ we had made our position very clear with regards to the enrolment of Lower Sixth students and clearly told the government that its policy was flawed and ill conceived.”

“Of course most people would ask why parents who clearly knew their child’s poor track record would go ahead and enrol them for Advanced level education – but the truth is that most parents did not know how their kids were performing owing to the absence of end of term reports as teachers had been striking for a long time,” said Zhou.

“Parents who took the permanent secretary’s advice to go ahead and enrol their kids before end of year exam results were released must now clean their mess and I can clearly see confrontation between the ministry and parents in the near future,” he said.

He said parents had been duped by the ministry into using mid year results, a situation which led to further chaos as students went on to forge reports to gain entry.
“Some headmasters made a killing during that enrolment period by selling reports to students who were desperate to be enrolled. This is a sad scenario,” he said.

When contacted for comment, Minister of Education, David Coltart, said he was yet to analyse the results while the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) spokesperson Ezekiel Pasipamire, said his organisation was still to come up with a report detailing the outcome of the results.

The Chronicle
11 June 2009
Political Editor

THE dust is beginning to settle following the fierce debate that erupted over the process of drafting the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

It should be borne in mind that Zimbabwe is using the Lancaster House Constitution of 1979, which was basically a negotiated political settlement that did not necessarily reflect the views and aspirations of the masses.

As a result, it is generally agreed that this was more of a transitional mechanism than a blueprint drafted by the people and it is therefore inadequate in meeting the needs of the general populace and generations to come.

The Lancaster House Constitution has consequently been amended a record 19 times.

If it were a pair of trousers, it would by now be threadbare with a lot of patches that would make it ugly and the person wearing it a subject of ridicule.

That is why in 1999, a process to draft a new “people-driven” constitution was initiated and spearheaded by commissioners appointed by President Mugabe in terms of the Commissions of Inquiries Act.

The Constitutional Commission headed by the then Judge President, Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, carried out extensive consultations and produced a draft that was rejected by the people in a referendum held in 2000.

There were various arguments advanced for the rejection of the document. Some people said Zimbabweans used the referendum opportunity to send a wake-up call to the Government on the devastating effects of the neo-liberal economic policies prescribed by the Bretton Woods institutions, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, in the form of the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme.

In the words of the Constitutional Commission spokesman then, Professor Jonathan Moyo, the “NO” vote to the draft was a “tummy vote” and not in any way an expression on the contents of the blueprint itself.

Others argued that the document had been rejected because if enacted it would “produce an unworkable system of government with an unchecked executive, a weak Parliament, and inadequate protections for fundamental rights and freedoms”.

Subsequently, the National Constitutional Assembly — led by constitutional expert, Dr Lovemore Madhuku — which had vigorously campaigned for a new constitution and also took part in the lobby for the rejection of the Chidyausiku-led Constitutional Commission draft, produced its own version after a series of consultations in the country.

In September 2007, representatives of the then ruling Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations met at Lake Kariba and drafted a new constitutional proposal. The document, which derives its name from the location it was drafted and is therefore known as the Kariba Draft, was referenced in the Global Political Agreement, signed on 15 September 2008.

The agreement, which paved way for the formation of the inclusive Government, was signed by the three parties represented in Parliament, Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations.

Article Six of the GPA sets out a 19-month constitution-making process.

However, this new process evoked emotional debate when it was announced as civil society felt a Parliament-led process would not produce a people-driven constitution and there were also fears that the inclusive Government merely wanted to impose the Kariba Draft on the people.

Dr Madhuku went further to announce a boycott of the process and vowed to campaign against it especially in view of the alleged attempt to foist the Kariba Draft on the people.

The NCA produced a widely circulated position paper on the shortcomings of the Kariba Draft.

“The process that led to the creation of the Kariba Draft is inappropriate for two broad reasons: First and foremost, Zimbabweans must be given the right to determine the rules by which they would be governed. This view is reflected in the Zimbabwe People’s Charter, which calls for a ‘people- driven, participatory’ process of constitutional reform spearheaded by an inclusive all-stakeholders commission. The writing of the Kariba Draft by a handful of political elites without consulting the public is an undemocratic usurpation of the right of Zimbabweans to write a constitution for themselves,” reads the NCA position paper on the subject.

But the Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs, Advocate Eric Matinenga, is on record as saying Zimbabweans would be free to express their view on the constitution they want.

“That (rubber stamping of the Kariba Draft) is simply not true. The people of Zimbabwe will determine what will be in their constitution. The Kariba Draft will not be forced down their throat but if they say they want the Kariba Draft so be it and if they say they want the National Constitutional Assembly Draft for instance so be it,” Adv Matinenga told Chronicle in April.

Article Six of the GPA spells out in detail the constitution- making process, including the timeframes for the various phases in the programme.

The preamble of the said article in the GPA emphasises the need for a people-driven constitution although it acknowledges the Kariba Draft.

“Determined to create conditions for our people to write a constitution for themselves; and mindful of the need to ensure that the new Constitution deepens our democratic values and principles and the protection of the equality of all citizens, particularly the enhancement of full citizenship and equality of women,” reads the preamble to Article Six.

The article also goes on to spell out the various structures that will move the constitution-making process.

It says the process will be steered by a Parliamentary Select Committee whose terms of reference will be “to set up sub-committees chaired by a Member of Parliament and composed of MPs and representatives of Civil Society as may be deemed necessary to assist the select committee in performing its mandate” and to “hold such public hearings and such consultations as it may deem necessary in the process of public consultation over the making of a new constitution for Zimbabwe”.

A 25-member Parliamentary select committee is already in place and is co-chaired by representatives from the three political parties represented in Parliament, Paul Munyaradzi Mangwana of Zanu-PF, Douglas Mwonzora of MDC-T and Senator David Coltart of the MDC led by Professor Arthur Mutambara.
The committee is also charged with convening an all- stakeholders conference to consult them on their representation in the sub-committees.

Addressing a seminar on constitution-making organised by the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance in Bulawayo yesterday, Adv Matinenga announced that consultations for the selection of people who will attend the All-stakeholders Conference set for 13 July would start on Wednesday next week.

The Minister said the stakeholder identification meetings on 17 June would be in Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo, Harare and Mutare while on 20 June similar meetings would be held in Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central provinces.
“We anticipate that the sub-committees will equal every anticipated chapter in the constitution. Those issues including the sizes and composition of the sub-committees will be discussed at the All-stakeholders Conference,” said Adv Matinenga.

On the second phase of gathering the views for the drafting of the constitution, the GPA gives four months for that process.

“We envisage a situation where we use the 210 parliamentary constituencies giving them 30 days for meetings and we are also looking at the fact that each constituency has an average of eight wards which means three-and-a-half meetings per ward. If the issues have been properly explained and the people capacitated, I think three meetings per ward is enough,” says Adv Matinenga.

“As a ministry we will also do a pre-consultation process to simply articulate the policy of constitution making and maybe give the public documents such as the NCA Draft Constitution and the present Lancaster House Constitution for their own perusal.”

After the process of gathering the views for the constitution the parliamentary select committee shall table its draft constitution to a second All-stakeholders Conference. It would then report to Parliament on its recommendations over the content of the new Constitution for Zimbabwe and the draft Constitution recommended by the Select Committee shall be submitted to a referendum.

In terms of the timelines set by the GPA, the draft Constitution shall be tabled within three months of completion of the public consultation process to an All- stakeholders Conference and the draft Constitution and the accompanying report shall be tabled before Parliament within one month of the second All-stakeholders Conference.

It also says the draft Constitution and the accompanying report shall be debated in Parliament and the debate concluded within one month and the Constitution emerging from Parliament shall be gazetted before the holding of a referendum.

Although some civil bodies have reservations over this process, unlike the NCA, most have chosen to take part and make their arguments along the way.

Organisations like the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance and the Matabeleland Constitutional Reform Agenda do not see boycotting the constitution-making process as a solution and in fact have started awareness programmes on the programme as well as capturing possible input for the blueprint.

“Clearly, this process is a constitutionally mandated exercise and it is imperative that everyone, be it individuals, political organisations and civil society in general should participate in this process,” says the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance national director, Reverend Useni Sibanda.

Rev Sibanda says the ideal situation would have been to have a hybrid Constitutional Assembly comprising a select committee of Parliament, representatives of civil society and individuals recommended by a committee of Parliament and approved by a majority of parliament.

“That would have created a truly ‘people-driven process’. While ZCA appreciates that MP are the representatives of the people in Parliament, it believes that in a process as important and significant as constitution-making and reform, the actual ‘constituents’ must not be left out, especially at the level of the highest authority, that is the Select Committee,” says Rev Sibanda.

MACRA chairman, Mr Effie Ncube, is on record as saying while the process of making a constitution is important people should not lose sight of the content side of the whole exercise.

At the end of the day as aptly put by Adv Matinenga, “process and content in this case are intertwined”.

For now it would seem the constitution-making train is in motion and those who choose not to step on board like the NCA — which a political commentator attending the ZCA seminar in Bulawayo yesterday on the constitution described as being in a cul-de-sac — will be left for good.

The Herald
Herald Reporter
11 June 2009

GOVERNMENT has maintained that Ordinary Level failures who were already attending Advanced Level classes before their results were released will be ejected.

In an interview on Tuesday, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said the Government had not changed its position and schools should adhere to its earlier directive.

“We have not changed our position. Unfortunately those who have completely failed their ‘O’ level examinations but were already attending (A Level) classes will have to stop,” he said.

“Since when did we start enrolling ‘O’ level failures to ‘A’ level or ‘A’ level failures to university?” Most schools visited by The Herald on Monday, however, said the fate of such pupils would lie with their parents, with some indicating the children could continue A Level classes while supplementing O Level subjects.

Last month Minister Coltart said those who had completely failed would have to stop lessons, which has inconvenienced some pupils who had already paid fees and bought school uniforms.

Minister Coltart said the fate of such pupils would have been the same if results had been released in January.

Minister Coltart last week said the pupils should not be refunded the fees they had paid for the second term, as this would disrupt the normal running of schools.

In April, the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture allowed schools to enroll students for A-Level based on their mid-year mock examinations performance, saying their plight was a matter of concern to the ministry after Zimsec failed to give a time frame for the release of the results. O-Level results were released last Friday and students started collecting them on Monday. However, most school heads were optimistic that only a few students would be affected by the results as they had enrolled them on merit.

June 9th 2009
The Herald
By Innocent Ruwende

MOST schools in Harare and Chitungwiza have decided not to send home Ordinary Level failures they had enrolled for Advanced Level classes before their results were released saying they would want them to supplement the failed O-Level subjects.

This sets the schools on a collision course with the Government, which had ordered that failing students be discharged from A-Level classes.

A snap survey carried out by The Herald yesterday showed that most schools felt parents or guardians of such pupils should determine their future while Government wants them to stop attending classes.

A senior teacher at Mount Pleasant High School in Harare said the O-Level failures would continue with their classes if their parents allowed them to while they supplemented the O-Level subjects.

“The fate of these pupils will not be determined by us, but by themselves and their parents. We cannot stand in their way if they want to continue with their classes, but we will make sure they supplement so that they will have five Ordinary Levels,” she said.

Prince Edward School headmaster Mr Kevin Atkinson yesterday said although he was still to go through all the results, he would engage the parents of the affected pupils.

“I have not finished assessing the results. Some students sat for both Cambridge and Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council examinations, so we will have to compile the statistics to gauge the pass rate.

“We admitted the pupils on merit and we think only a few will be affected. But for the few who will fail we will have to sit down with their parents to map the way forward,” he said.

A senior official at Seke 1 High School echoed similar sentiments and said although they had not finished compiling the statistics of affected pupils, they hoped to engage their parents in the event some failed.

Zengeza High 1 School headmaster Mr Jephias Runesu was optimistic that a few pupils would be affected by below par performance at O-Level.

“We don’t think we will have a problem because we admitted these pupils on merit. We had at least seven teachers on a selection panel who determined the pupils we accepted.

“We will, however, be able to see by the end of the week the number of pupils affected. But I don’t think we will come to a situation where we will send pupils away, we almost foresaw the problem in advance,” he said.

Mr Runesu said if some pupils failed they, would sit down with parents to determine their children’s future, adding that the best way forward would be for them to supplement their O-Level subjects while they attend A-Level classes.

Teachers at Allan Wilson, Queen Elizabeth and Girls High schools said it would be unfair to send children away after their parents paid school fees and bought uniforms.

Last month Education, Sport, Art and Culture Minister David Coltart said O–Level pupils who failed their exams will be ejected from classes and their parents will not be refunded the fees they paid. Meanwhile, students began collecting their results yesterday after going through various clearing processes.

GoToVictoriaFalls.com destination update
By Muzi Mohale
June 9, 2009

High-level support for Marathon

The Victoria Falls Marathon billed for 21 – 24 August 2009 has received the full support of Zimbabwe’s sports minister Senator David Coltart. He has called for the full backing of all government departments, participation of neighbouring countries and has saluted organizers and sponsors whose commitment would make the marathon “an exceptional regional event on the world stage”.

Falls Marathon promises BIG fun…

Victoria Falls Marathon co-ordinator John Addison reports that following enthusiastic interest at Indaba, organizers are working to make the world wonder destination the place to be in Africa over the weekend of the event (21 – 24 August 2009).

So many non-runners/spouses/spectators have shown interest in just coming up for the fun and games that organizers envisage a thrill-filled break. From Friday 21 August when the athletes arrive and register at The Kingdom hotel, Victoria Falls will be abuzz. On Saturday, a social golf day is planned at Elephant Hills, for runners and spectators alike. Sunday is race day and spectators are urged to be up early to watch the start of the race and cheer the runners along the race course. The official marathon cruise on the Zambezi takes place that evening. After this, the after-party at the Boat Club is becoming legendary, dance the night away to some great Rock’n Roll on the banks of the Zambezi, till late. On Monday, head off home, or stay on for more adventure activities.

8 June 2009
The Herald

Harare — MDC-T Cabinet ministers were on Saturday conspicuous by their absence at the Victoria Falls Airport when visiting Heads of State and Government and their delegations from the Comesa region were arriving.

It is understood that a number of MDC-T ministers had been assigned to accompany visiting delegations from the airport to their hotels in the resort town ahead of the official opening of the 13th Comesa Summit yesterday.

However, none of the ministers turned up and a potentially embarrassing situation was only averted after other ministers who went to the airport of their own volition were hastily asked to fill in the gaps.

Apart from Zanu-PF members of Cabinet, the only other senior Government official at the airport was Education Minister David Coltart (MDC), who was attached to ousted Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana.

“Several ministers from all political parties were told that they would be attached to specific delegations and they would accompany these to their hotels after they were welcomed into the country by Vice President (Joice) Mujuru.

“We had a mini-crisis when it was discovered that none of the honourable men and women from MDC-T were in attendance to carry out this important State function.

“In the end we had to ask other ministers who were at the airport to do the duties of their friends who were absent,” said an official with the Protocol Department.

MDC-T spokesman Nelson Chamisa, speaking from Harare last night, said he could not comment on behalf of other ministers and was not present at the summit.

Some MDC-T Cabinet ministers have been in Victoria Falls for the duration of the summit and organ policy meetings that preceded it.

Interestingly, on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe also appeared to be shying away from delegates who flew in for the Comesa summit.

At a reception held for delegates at the Boma restaurant, DPM Khupe was seen sitting away from the delegates.

When asked by Government officials to join the delegates, she reportedly replied that she was in Victoria Falls on “private business”. She only moved after senior State officials implored her to do so.

Meanwhile, a High Court decision last Friday barring the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity, and the Media and Information Commission from accrediting journalists could inadvertently have led to a number of media practitioners failing to cover the Comesa summit.

According to security officials who were in charge of accrediting journalists at the summit venue, they turned away several people because they did not have accreditation from the State.

“The way we function is that we need to see an accreditation card from a State authority before we can let anyone cover an event that involves heads of state.

“So we had to turn away people who came to us without accreditation cards because we cannot give security clearance to people who the State does not know are operating as journalists in the country.

“We just follow our jobs. If there is a change in orders we will follow that. As it is, there appears to be a vacuum but there is nothing that we can do about it.”

To get accreditation to cover the summit, journalists were required to first produce a Zimbabwean Press card.

The Guardian (UK)
8 June 2009
By David Smith in Harare

Things are getting a little better, Tsvangirai tells US and Europe. At home they’re not so sure

Three months ago Davison Makhado took his first job, as a teacher, to play his part in reopening Zimbabwe’s schools. The 35 boys in Makhado’s class at Ellis Robins school in Harare are eager to learn about African history, but only have a single textbook between them, so before each lesson Makhado makes extensive notes that he then painstakingly dictates. “It’s very difficult to teach,” the 25-year-old said. “The children complain about it a lot.” The stuttering revival of the education sector is a litmus test of Zimbabwe’s faltering and fragile progress since President Robert Mugabe and prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s inclusive government was formed in February. Teaching used to be a well-paid profession, when Zimbabwe’s schools were the envy of Africa. Not any more. Like all civil servants, teachers are now earning an “allowance” of US$100 per month. Some are still waiting for their first payment to come through. “$100 is very, very little,” Makhado said. “If I was in my own home, paying $60 rent and electricity and water bills, I couldn’t afford it, so I’m having to stay with my brother.”

Zimbabweans seem willing to give the government of compromise a chance, but patience is running thin. “The unity government at the moment seems to be an 80% failure,” Makhado said. “The things we want to be addressed are not yet addressed. The salaries of civil servants are pathetic and not enough for people with families and extended families. Morgan Tsvangirai still has a lot to do to prove he can deliver something to us.” The price of failure will be the loss of people like Makhado from the country’s schools. “If the salary remains like this I’ll be sorry and I will see to it that I resign and change professions to do something better than this. I’ll give them 18 months at most.” Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, set off yesterday on a tour of the US and Europe, seeking to persuade Barack Obama, Gordon Brown and other heads of state that this tormented nation is now on an upward trajectory. Yesterday, in the Netherlands, he said he was not touring with a “begging bowl”. But from a base of rock bottom, it could hardly be getting worse. Last year Zimbabwe – once the region’s biggest economy after South Africa – stared total collapse in the face: hyperinflation at a world record 500bn per cent, unemployment at more than 97%, shops and supermarkets empty, 5 million people in need of international food aid and nearly 5,000 dead from Africa’s biggest cholera outbreak in 15 years.

A superficial normality has since returned to the streets of the capital, Harare, with traffic flowing, people shopping and children walking to school in smart uniforms. The city hosted a jazz festival at the weekend and is striving to rebrand itself as a tourist destination during next year’s football World Cup in neighbouring South Africa. Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, however, is a place where appearances can be deceptive. “If you’re not confused about Zimbabwe, you haven’t been here long enough,” said Eddie Cross, policy co-ordinator general for the MDC. “On the surface it looks pretty civilised, but look beneath the surface and the human situation is still very grim.” Hospitals have reopened and up to 90% of doctors and nurses are back at work, many receiving top-up wages from British government aid. But half of basic drugs are unavailable. Pregnant women in need of caesarean sections in rural Bulilima must walk 12 miles to the nearest hospital, according to the development agency Cafod. Inflation has been neutralised after the dollar and South African rand were adopted as national currencies, and food is back on the supermarket shelves. But the economy is broke, agriculture is in crisis and many people still cannot afford a loaf.

Incidents of cholera have been curtailed after a huge effort by aid agencies but access to clean water is limited, sewage pipes continue to burst and Oxfam warns of an “eight in 10 chance” of a fresh cholera outbreak later this year. Aids claims 400-500 lives per day. Rumours abound of dissent in the army and police amid signs that Mugabe’s grip on the state apparatus might finally be weakening, but invasions and beatings on white-owned farms have accelerated and there is no respite from the arbitrary arrests of journalists and human rights activists. Schools, of which only 10% were open last year, are back to 100% with 12,000 teachers having returned to their posts. But one textbook is shared on average by 30 children in rural classrooms, which are often in disrepair. Universities are in even worse condition and effectively closed. “Teachers are in school but the truth is they are not teaching,” said one head, who did not wish to be named. “They maintain a presence because they don’t want their allowance to be cut off, but real teaching is not taking place.”

Raymond Majongwe, secretary-general of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, said: “The teachers are there but there is nothing in terms of teaching and learning materials.” But he also struck an upbeat note: “The unity government has brought back food and smiles for many Zimbabweans. In the past six months we have smelled democracy. As a union we have been able to go to places without being arrested where we have never been before. But we can be optimistic only if the correct people ultimately take the reins.” The chief concern for most Zimbabweans is money. Just 6% of the workforce has a job. The introduction of the US dollar and rand have stabilised the economy but excluded many citizens, especially in rural areas. Oxfam believes that the currencies have caused poverty to increase, possibly even double, and forced companies and banks to close. Stephen Maengamhuru, 60, a pastor in the city of Mutare in eastern Zimbabwe, said: “Scratch the surface and people in rural areas simply have no chance to get dollars. I had to give my grandmother one dollar to go to a grinding mill because she couldn’t get any money. Most people are relying on a son or daughter working in town to pitch up with money. The unity government was our hope for survival, but we have a lot of principals dragging their feet and throwing spanners in the works.”

Families cannot even afford to bury their dead. Hospital mortuaries intended to store 20 corpses have become overcrowded with five times that number. Some bodies have reportedly been nibbled by rats. Harare hospital was recently forced to clear its mortuary of corpses unclaimed for up to six months and give them paupers’ burials. Some women have turned to prostitution. Vanessa, 22, standing at a notorious pick-up point in daytime, said: “We want to survive with our children, pay rent and take care of our parents. Some days I earn $40-50. Other days I earn nothing. I have a three-year-old daughter and I need the money for her.” Many people see the unity government as their last best hope. It remains delicately balanced between Mugabe’s Zanu PF and Tsvangirai’s MDC. A trial of strength is under way between Mugabe’s hard power the army and police and Tsvangirai’s soft power, with ministries such as education and health.

David Coltart, the MDC’s education minister, said: “If we can deliver on health and education, then in the minds of millions of parents the MDC will be associated with delivering. The counter to that is that if we fail, we will be seen as no different from Zanu PF. There’s no doubt in my mind that there are elements trying to set us up to fail.” He added: “We’re dealing with a partner that doesn’t know what democracy means and has been dragged into this process kicking and screaming. It could take months or years but the process is almost irreversible.” Optimists hope the Zanu PF hierarchy will accept an amnesty and pay-off from Tsvangirai to step down. Pessimists fear that they will lash out when they see power ebbing away. Cross said: “The people who’ve run this country as a military junta, killing and maiming thousands and pillaging with impunity, are facing defeat and marginalisation. They’re going to fight back.”

Zimbabwe has come back from a near-death experience. The patient is recovering slowly but remains in a critical condition, and the danger of a relapse is real.