Business Weekly
19 March 2009

Zimbabwe teacher unions have warned the new government that their members will not be reporting for duty in May if they do not get their salaries in foreign currency.

So far the teachers are just receiving the USd 100 allowance per civil servant while their Zimdollar salary component was not being paid.

The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) and the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe
(PTUZ) on Monday held a meeting with David Coltart, the Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and
Culture, where it emerged that the new government would not be able to improve on February salaries as it was broke.

Sifiso Ndlovu, the chief executive office of ZIMTA, said his organisation had issued Circular Number 10
advising members of the impasse with the government over March salaries. “We have advised the
government that teachers will not be going back to school in May if it fails to top on the USd 100 paid
out in February,” said Ndlovu.

Raymond Majongwe, the secretary general of PTUZ, concurred. “We met the Minister and told him the
government is provoking us to go on strike,” said Majongwe.

He said what had further incensed teachers were revelations that ZANU PF militia and other members of the ZANU PF Women’s League got similar allowances as teachers and other civil servants. “The
government is agitating us to go back on strike. We have registered our concerns with the
minister and have also written to the Minister of Public Service on the failure to hold salary negotiations for March as agreed last month,” he said.

Coltart confirmed meeting the teachers. “Yes we meet and they registered their grievances which the
government is looking into,” he said.

The government last month promised it would improve on the March salaries for all civil servants.
In a circular to its members ZIMTA said failure to secure a concrete and written agreement from
government “with clear milestones that will indicate a gradual incremental salary award as a strategy of working towards a salary level competitive to the region” teachers would not be going back to class in May 2009.

The ZIMTA circular added: “ZIMTA wishes to put it on record that it supports the Government of
National Unity and it is taking these steps to give it up to April 2009 for GNU to jelly up and address
educators legitimate grievances.”

The government is desperately seeking financial injection from the West and the region but indications are that a rescue package has been proving elusive. The South African government has indicated it might bankroll Zimbabwe as it was perusing a proposal submitted by Finance Minister Tendai Biti.
Last year, teachers worked an average 23 days, as they protested poor salaries and working conditions.

This year schools opened late as teachers delayed to go back to work, demanding they be paid in foreign currency. They only went back to work after they had been assured by Coltart that their grievances would be looked into.

New Zimbabwe.Com
19 March 2009

THE Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart on Wednesday appointed the new National Education Advisory Board which will advise the minister on ways to improve primary and secondary education in Zimbabwe.

Coltart said: “I have consulted widely before appointing the group of ‘grey-hairs’ gathered here today. I look forward to working with them to restore the rule of law in our education system and to reconstruct our primary and secondary education, which used to be the best in Africa.”

Their immediate task is a rapid assessment of the state of primary and secondary education, as the foundation for a long-term plan and funding for the Ministry, Coltart said.
On the board are teachers’ union leaders, former Education Minister Fay Chung, former Bulawayo Town Clerk Mike Ndubiwa and former Harare North MP Trudy Stevenson.

Board Members are:

Dr Isaiah Sibanda (Chair) – Lecturer in technical teacher education at NUST, Founding Director ZIMSEC, former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry
Dr Fay Chung (Treasurer) – Education consultant, formerly UNESCO Africa, UNICEF New York and Minister of Education
Mrs Trudy Stevenson (Secretary) – Former teacher/Cambridge oral examiner and MP Harare North
Dr Goodwill Shana – Representing Church schools, Chair Heads of Christian Denominations in Zimbabwe, President EFZ, etc.
Dr Sharai Chakanyuka – Education researcher and lecturer, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Education, Zimbabwe Open University
Mrs Mary Ndlovu – Education consultant, former lecturer in education at Hillside, etc.
Fr Joe Arimoso – Head of Jesuit education, former teacher at St George’s College
Mr Stanley Hadebe – Board member, ZIMSEC, Zimbabwe Open University, etc, former Matabeleland Regional Director of Education
Sr Tariro Chimanyiwa – Special education, Head of Emerald Hill School for the Deaf
Mr Neil Todd – CEO Association of Trust Schools, former Head Falcon, Deputy Head Plumtree, etc
Mr Mike Ndubiwa – Educationist and former Bulawayo Town Clerk
Mr Charles Maunze – President, National Association of Secondary Heads NASH and Head, Oriel Boys
Ms Tendai Chikowore – President, Zimbabwe Teachers Association ZIMTA
Mr Takawafira Zhou – President, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe PTUZ

Zimbabwe Times
By Our Correspondent
18 March 2009

HARARE – Education, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister, Senator David Coltart says government will not be able to fulfil growing demands by teachers who are demanding to be paid salaries of up to $US1 500.

Coltart pleaded with teachers to “call on their sense of patriotism” and accept that government was broke.

Addressing journalists Wednesday afternoon, Coltart said his ministry had limited capacity to pay teachers viable salaries, pointing out that teachers were employees of the Public Service Commission.
“Teachers are employed by the public service commission not by the ministry of education,” he said.
“To that extent this is beyond our control. We have been in discussions with the Ministry of Finance which ultimately is the source of funding for all civil servants.”

Incidentally, Finance Minister Tendai Biti allocated the Education Ministry the lion’s share of the budget he announced in Parliament on Wednesday. The ministry was allocated over US$177 million.
“Our economy is in a state of near collapse,” said Coltart.

“Our treasury coffers are almost bare. Our entreaties to the donor community have not to date secured the funding that we have asked for although we have been dealt with sympathetically. Money has not flowed into treasury coffers yet.

“Whilst we are very sympathetic towards the legitimate concerns of teachers and civil servants right across the board, unfortunately there is a limit to what we can do in the circumstances. My hope is that monies will be forthcoming shortly.”

Coltart, who was appointed minister in February, refused to commit his ministry to making any promises to the teachers.

“As the responsible person, I cannot today make any promises and all that I can do is to call on the sense of patriotism of our teachers and the trade union movements to recognize that we are acting (sincerely).

“But there is a limit to what we can do. Unfortunately we can’t wave a magic wand.”

Like all civil servants, Zimbabwean teachers are earning allowances of up to US$100.

Government met teachers’ representative groups last month and agreed to negotiate teachers’ salaries this month.

Progressive Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou said his organization was not willing to continue accepting excuses being proffered by government.

“We do not accept the view that government has no money,” he said.

“All sources of generating revenue by government are still functional. We cannot continue to wait for so called donors to one day think of paying the teachers. What shall we be eating?”

Zhou said teachers affiliated to his organization were already on a “go slow” and would declare a full blown strike if government fails to meet their demands by mid next month when teachers will be paid their April salaries.

Meanwhile, Coltart has appointed a 14 member think-tank of experienced education officials to work as a board to be known as the National Education Advisory Board.

The board, whose activities are being funded by the European Union, will conduct an immediate assessment of the education sector and make recommendations on how to restore credibility in the country’s faltering education system.

Former secretary for education, Dr Isaiah Sibanda will chair the board while former education minister, Fay Chung will be the treasurer.

Former Movement for Democratic Change legislator Trudy Stevenson, who was a teacher for 30 years, will be the board secretary.

Zimonline
By Patricia Mpofu
Tuesday 17 March 2009

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s teachers have threatened a fresh work boycott unless the
country’s new government agrees to pay them more than the US$100 allowance
paid to every civil servant last month.

Officials from the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) and the Progressive
Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) – the two representative bodies for
teachers in the country – told ZimOnline on Monday that their members would
not report for duty for the second term in May unless they were paid more
money.

The union officials said they told Education Minister David Coltart in a
meeting yesterday that they would not report for duty unless the government
topped up their salaries or allowances.

But the union leaders appeared comfortable with teachers getting paid US$100
this month, indicating their members would remain at work if this was the
case but would go on strike if the allowance was not topped up in April.

“We told the minister that our members are very unhappy and have given the
government up to April 2009 to find the money, failure of which teachers
will not go back to work,” said ZIMTA chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu.

PTUZ secretary general Raymond Majongwe said: “We have registered our
concerns with the minister and have also written to the Minister of Public
Service on the failure to hold salary negotiations for March as agreed last
month.”

Coltart described his meeting with teachers’ unions as “fruitful” adding
that his ministry and the government was working to improve salaries for
teachers.

He said: “It was agreed the government has no capacity at the moment to
improve on their allowances. The Minister of Finance has assured us the
government is looking for funding. We are aware of their concerns and we
will be continuously looking into improving the salaries.”

The government of national unity between President Robert Mugabe, Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambara is broke and
has no cash for salaries for teachers and hundreds of thousands of its
workers including the police and army.

The hard cash allowances paid civil servants last month and due to be paid
this month were raised from donors.

But rich Western governments with capacity to fund the unity government have
refused to provide support until they see evidence Mugabe is committed to
genuine power sharing and to implementing comprehensive political and
economic reforms.

Finance Minster Tendai Biti last week told journalists the international
community had to step in and assist Zimbabwe’s new government or it would
fail to deliver on its promises and ultimately collapse.

Biti yesterday said he could not comment on whether the government had found
money for salaries for its workers as promised last month but pleaded with
civil servants to be patient while the administration looked to address
their salary grievances.

“What I can say is that we are all the time looking for money. It takes time
but we are trying all the time. Civil servants will be paid but we appeal
for patience,” said Biti.

However government sources said civil servants will again be paid US$100
each to be deposited in their respective bank accounts beginning today, with
teachers the first to get paid followed by soldiers who will be paid
tomorrow.

The rest of government workers will receive their allowances in coming days,
according to our sources.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC), which facilitated
formation of the unity government in Harare, is planning to hold an
extraordinary summit to discuss ways to convince the international community
to provide US$2 billion urgently needed to kick start Zimbabwe’s stalled
economy and restore basics services such as health and education.

But analysts see little hope that Western governments – many that had
demanded Mugabe’s resignation before they could support Zimbabwe – would
agree to give significant aid before Harare meets a set of tough benchmarks,
including providing a credible economic recovery plan, upholding human
rights and taking firm steps to write a new and democratic constitution for
the country.

The Times UK
By Georgina Godwin
Sunday, 15 MARCH 2009

Susan Tsvangirai would have been surprised by the impact her death has had on this country. The unifying effect and the sense of hope to come out of this awful tragedy would, I am sure, have pleased her.

In Zimbabwe, when someone dies a mourning vigil is held at their home. Traditionally, friends and relatives gather at the family home as soon as possible until after the burial. Therefore, on Monday, along with hundreds of others, I made my way to the suburban Harare home of the Tsvangirais to pay my respects to my friend Susan.

From a mile away cars were abandoned along the potholed roads and the sound of drumming drifted through the early evening. There was a group of women in red-and-white Methodist church uniforms standing at the gate singing Tichasangana kudenga, neropa raJesu. Sung to the tune of Auld Lang Syne, the hymn translates: “We will meet again in Heaven, Through the Blood of Jesus.”

I took a seat in the queue waiting to enter a room where I believed we would contribute to the condolence book. In front of me was Stan Mudenge, the Zanu (PF) Minister of Higher Education. On the opposite side, both physically and politically, was a representative from ZUM, the Zimbabwe Unity Movement that Mr Mugabe effectively crushed in the 1990s.

I entered the darkened room and found the Prime Minister there, dressed in a dark suit. Selfishly my own grief took over and I wept as he hugged and comforted me. “There is nothing to be done,” he said. “What can you do?”

I recalled my work with Susan, before my political broadcasts made me an undesirable in Zimbabwe, and her trip to London in 2002 when we had believed she would be First Lady soon. By the time I left him, darkness, always swift in Africa, had fallen and the garden was alive with cooking fires.

David Coltart, the MDC Minister of Education, called me over to meet his colleague, Herbert Murerwa. Mr Murerwa is the Zanu (PF) Minister of Lands and a man I have been very vocal in criticising publicly. As we were introduced, he told me: “I hear what you say and I see what you do.” Sinister at any other time, his words seemed oddly benign in an atmosphere of real unity. I don’t believe the Zanu (PF) presence was cynical. I, perhaps naively, think that they joined in this intimate part of the occasion in a spirit of genuine grief and togetherness.

Susan was an unassuming and gracious lady who possibly had no idea how much her work with the poor and sick achieved. Susan’s contribution to the nation in life was great. In death it may be greater still – genuinely bringing true unity to the Zimbabwean people.

Sunday Mail
Consumer Forum
By Garikai Mazara
15 March 2009

SCHOOL fees, school fees, school fees . . .

The topic that is refusing to go away and go away it will not until some semblance of order returns to the education system. Most parents, fearing for the victimisation of their children in class and at school, are afraid to raise the concerns that they harbour albeit that the concerns will be founded and genuine.

The intention this week is to speak to the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, with a view to asking him some of the burning questions being raised by parents. But given the tragic accident the other week that killed the wife of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, it was difficult to get hold of Minister David Coltart — his phone went unanswered for long periods. It must have been hectic for everyone and he must have been held up here and there.

Anyway, we will still discuss the issues obtaining and here is to hoping that when the minister becomes available, he will be able to answer some, if not most, of the questions raised.

For starters, most parents want to know what will become of the money that they had paid to schools at the beginning of the term. For instance, some primary schools were demanding anything up to US$250 per term, some as “little” as a US$1 per day, of which some, if not most, of the money was not even receipted. Now that Government has set US$150 per term (we will come to this later on, as it is just too much), was the money paid at the beginning of the term to be part of the new fee regime?

In instances where refunds are due, will parents be credited with the next term’s fees or they should or will be given their differences in cash? Is there going to be an audit on how the money that was paid was used? Who was/is accountable for the money that was paid – the SDAs or the school heads? Or the teachers?

But the most glaring problem is that most school (and/or teachers) were not issuing receipts for the money that they received because they knew pretty well that the money was “illegal”. So recourse will be difficult, if not impossible. And asking a parent who had already paid US$150 as teachers’ incentive to pay another similar amount to the Government as fees will be asking for too much. That means if you have three pupils in primary school, you will need US$900 this term!

Against an average salary of US$100! Even though The Herald suggested in a mid-week editorial that fees can be staggered in payment, the fees regime announced by the ministry does not fit into the obtaining salary regime. As much as consideration was given to the Government’s need to raise money, to meet its obligations, the same consideration must have been given to parents’ ability to meet the fees regime.

If, for argument’s sake, US$150 is split into the three months of the term, this equals US$50 per month. From the US$100 salary voucher/coupon paid at the end of February, take away the US$50 and one would understand the parent’s plight. Though not everyone is a civil servant, we are using the US$100 base salary because most companies took a cue from Government and most salaries were pegged around US$100.

As argued in last week’s Sunday Mail editorial, it is very wrong for Government to want to fund education using fees. Instead taxes must be used for such purposes and Government must be implored to find ways of harnessing the millions of dollars that it might be losing each passing day through tax evasion.

For instance, this column once suggested that Government must force companies to pay forex salaries so that deductible taxes are also paid in forex. If companies continue paying allowances as opposed to salaries, no taxes are forwarded to Government. Or if they are, they will be in Zim dollars.

Then there is this reasoning that has since been given some legitimacy, reasoning which was first enunciated in the national budget. That high-density residents are poorer than low-density residents, or that the rural folk do not have money. Granted, the demographics of the 80s and 90s would have suggested and supported such reasoning, but the socio-political order of this decade would suggest otherwise.

Granted, the rural folk still remain worse off, in terms of development and hence accessibility to cash, but the line between the town cousins — high- and low- density residents — is very thin. For example, the furniture in Glen Norah households can be far better than that in, say, Arcadia, the cars in Mufakose far better than those in Milton Park, etc.

Given the dynamics of the last decade or so, which saw many locals leave for the Diaspora, and mostly drawn from the high-density areas, it does not readily follow that the people in these areas are worse off than their counterparts in the low-density areas.

Inversely, most of those in the low-density could just be relatives asked to look after properties by their relatives in the Diaspora, or mere tenants. The demographics of social classing of people were effective in the 80s and 90s when most of the people relied on working wages, and thus could be stratified by their earnings. But the way of dealings that had taken over life in Zimbabwe over the past five or so years have rendered the social rankings of the past irrelevant.

So it is wrong for our principals to use the demographics of the past for the present. That high-density residents do not have money or would rather have their bills paid in Zim dollars, yet the services they are getting are being for in US dollars.

As we seek the normalisation of our systems, I think it is only rational that we all adopt a Zimbabwean approach, that we are in this together, that we need to rebuild our country with concerted and equal efforts.

Shifting the cost of reconstruction of Zimbabwe is akin to shifting the blame, like the low-density residents have to pay for the high-density ones.

So it is in this light that as the responsible minister considers bringing down school fees, to match the obtaining remuneration, it is equally imperative that he aligns the same fees.

Zimbabwe Independent
By Constantine Chimakure
14 March 2009

Harare — SECURITY service chiefs were this week conspicuous by their absence at the funeral of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s wife, Susan, heightening fears that they remain opposed to the premier and the inclusive government.

The absence of army, airforce, police or prisons bosses from the funeral attended by President Robert Mugabe, ministers, senior government officials, and diplomats, would intensify fears that the Joint Operations Command (JOC) — which had been running the country’s affairs from behind the scenes — was opposed to the unity deal and could become a stumbling block to progress.

JOC comprises Mugabe diehards from the army, intelligence, prisons and police who are reportedly opposed to Tsvangirai.Susan’s death touched the hearts of many but service chiefs appeared unmoved. She died in a car crash last Friday along the Harare-Masvingo highway. Tsvangirai sustained injuries.

Susan was buried on Wednesday at her husband’s rural home in Buhera.

Analysts said although Defence Forces commander Constantine Chiwenga, Air Force chief Perrence Shiri, Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri and Prisons Commissioner Paradzai Zimondi were not obliged to visit the grieving family, they were expected to attend the funeral of the prime minister’s wife out of courtesy as senior officers.

Only Happyton Bonyongwe, the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) boss, attended. He was seen running around at the Avenues Clinic last Friday after the accident.

Bonyongwe came with Mugabe and his wife Grace, Vice-President Joice Mujuru and central bank governor Gideon Gono, among government officials who came to see the prime minister at the clinic.
On Tuesday Mugabe, Vice-Presidents Mujuru and Joseph Msika, Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, co-Home Affairs ministers Kembo Mohadi and Giles Mutsekwa, Education minister David Coltart and others attended a church service in honour of Susan at Mabelreign Methodist Church in the capital.

“What is puzzling is that most people who matter in government were at the funeral except the service chiefs,” a source said.

“It is clear that they are maintaining their position that they have nothing to do with Tsvangirai.”
Chiwenga, Shiri, Chihuri and Zimondi reportedly indicated before last March’s harmonised elections that they would not salute Tsvangirai if he won the presidential election against Mugabe.

Recent media reports said Chiwenga told his subordinates that he had difficulty in saluting the Tsvangirai, but would not victimise those within the force if they did.

The generals were reportedly behind Zanu PF’s “military and war-like” presidential run-off election campaign which the MDC-T said resulted in the deaths of about 200 of its supporters, over 10 000 injured and thousands left homeless.

Tsvangirai withdrew from the run-off and Mugabe’s victory was not recognised in the region and internationally, prompting Sadc and the African to facilitate talks for a unity government.

Besides Bonyongwe, the service chiefs also did not attend the swearing in of Tsvangirai as prime minister by Mugabe on February 11.

Despite the service chiefs avoiding Tsvangirai, they would come face-to-face in the National Security Council (NSC) — a successor body to the Joint Operations Command that deals with national security matters.

The NSC is chaired by Mugabe and Tsvangirai is a member.

Tsvangirai has since said there was need for security forces reforms to transform them into professional state apparatus.

Efforts to get a comment from Defence Forces spokesperson Colonel Ben Ncube last night were in vain.

The Herald
Saturday 14 March 2009
Herald Reporter

THE Government has directed that the 2009 Lower Six classes officially begin on Tuesday next week with the selection of candidates being based on last year’s mid-year mock examination results.

In a statement yesterday, the Secretary for Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Dr Stephen Mahere, said the candidates should have passed at least five Ordinary Level subjects in the mock examinations.

“The Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture would like to inform all high schools, parents and responsible authorities that the 2009 Lower Six classes will officially commence on Tuesday, 17 March 2009.

“Heads of high schools should note that selection will be based on continuous assessment (for example use of mid-term examination results) of candidates who should, in this regard, possess at least five ‘O’ Level subjects of grade C or better including English,” he said.

Dr Mahere said preference should be given to candidates who completed their “O” Levels in 2008. “Those who completed their ‘O’ Levels before 2008 may be considered only after the 2008 candidates have been accounted for,” he added.

Dr Mahere said limited boarding facilities should be reserved for deserving candidates such as those from rural schools. He reminded schools that candidates with physical disabilities deserved special consideration.

“Those candidates who have acceptable grades and viable subject combinations but fail to secure places should report to provincial education offices for assistance,” Dr Mahere said.

He advised candidates to take career-oriented subjects chosen according to the traditional classifications, namely sciences, humanities, commercials and vocational or technical subjects.

“Places for successful candidates will only be reserved by schools up to Tuesday, 24 March 2009. School fees and levies will be paid on a pro rata basis according to the length of the Lower Six first term,” Dr Mahere said.

“If students receive lower grades once their results are published, then they may be declined a place in the school. Likewise, those students who may have been refused a place based on the continuous assessment results but who obtain acceptable minimum ‘O’ Level results may be offered a place when their results are published,” Dr Mahere said.

He pleaded with schools to co-operate with the directive.

The delay in the release of the “O” Level results arose from an industrial action by markers who were demanding payment in foreign currency for their services.

The markers last month responded overwhelmingly to a call by Government for them to report for the second and final phase of marking after they were guaranteed payment in either US dollars or rands.

On Thursday Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said 80 percent of both last year’s public examination scripts had now been marked.

Speaking on the ZTV programme Face the Nation, Minister Coltart said: “Good progress has been made inasfar as the marking of the examination papers is concerned. The markers have almost completed the exercise and most of them should be returning to their stations and homes in the next 24 hours.”

He said the ministry was working closely with the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council in grading and printing the results

“In view of the delays that we envisage in the release of examination results, we have thus directed headmasters to start taking students for Lower Sixth classes.

“Our big concern is the ‘A’ Level results because we know that some students want to proceed to university and they will need the results. We are trying our level best to have the results out as early as possible,” he said.

The Herald
13 March 2009

Harare — GOVERNMENT has directed heads of State schools to allow parents to pay fees in instalments, reiterating that no pupil should be turned away for non-payment.

In an interview yesterday, Minister of Education, Arts, Sport and Culture David Coltart said parents who needed to pay in instalments should see the heads of their children’s schools.

“We have issued a directive saying parents can stagger the payment of fees. They can organise with headmasters and come up with a schedule of payment over a period of time,” he said.

The directive has been issued to all State schools and follows the decision last week to charge fees for State schools in US dollars.

Fees range from nil for State rural primary schools to US$280 a term for State sixth forms in low-density suburbs. Many parents are only now moving onto hard currency salaries and consequently do not have adequate US dollar savings although they will have a US dollar salary from this month.
Minister Coltart said orphans and vulnerable children were entitled to relief from the State.

“They can get a total waiver or partial waiver depending on their ability to pay,” he said.

Parents or guardians of such children are required to reveal their incomes and assets for assessment by the State before a decision is taken on whether they should pay fees.

Minister Coltart said he was aware that some schools were disregarding Government’s directive not to turn away pupils hence the directive.

He urged parents to report such schools to his ministry.

Authorities at several institutions, among them Glen View 2 Government Primary School, have disregarded Government’s directive not to turn away pupils.