The Herald
By Shepherd Chiware
26 February 2009

Harare — GOVERNMENT must play a key role in the complete overhaul of sport in Zimbabwe and render this sector consistent with the challenges facing the country.

The Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart, must urgently engage national sports agencies, sports federations and other key stakeholders to find ways of integrating sport into the current national agenda of development, nation-building and peace-making.
We have to find ways on how sport and development can join forces to improve the state of our country.

The greatest challenge facing Zimbabwe at the moment is development.

The central values of sport, which have been underestimated for a long time, can be useful in areas where traditional development has not always succeeded.

Government must facilitate a national conference, and invite all key partners from different sectors in the important area of national co-operation on sport and development.

The work for development, nation-building and peace-making through sport can include projects in such areas as conflict resolution, employment creation, poverty alleviation, the rights and protection of children, social integration, health promotion, life education, environment protection, overcoming all forms of abuse, combating crime and drug abuse, gender, inequality, violence, etc.

For example, the use of role model sports stars as goodwill ambassadors for national development and peace-making can help raise awareness about the many benefits of physical activity and sports, for preventing the communicable and non-communicable diseases, promoting health, well-being and social development.

Because of their universal popularity and appeal, these sports stars will help to highlight the role of sport as a cost-effective and sustainable way to generate major public health gains.

The recommendations emerging from the proposed national conference will culminate in the launch of a national declaration on sport for development and peace.

Zimonline
By Patricia Mpofu
26 February 2009

HARARE – Education Minister David Coltart on Wednesday said he expected learning to have resumed at all schools across the country by early next month.

In a statement to the media, Coltart said an agreement had been reached after protracted negotiations with the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) and the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) to get all schools functioning again.

“We jointly expect all teachers to report for duty by the 2nd of March 2009 and that all the schools will be fully functional by 9 March 2009,” he said.

Coltart disclosed that his ministry and the two teachers unions agreed on seven points, chief among them being that teachers who have been absent from duty due to the industrial action be given amnesty and that the quantum of the March 2009 salaries and allowances would be agreed upon through negotiations.

He said it was the medium and long-term goal for the new government to bring teacher’s salaries in line with regional standards.

“It is agreed that to facilitate the return of teachers we will recommend as a ministry to the Public Service Commission that there should be an amnesty for teachers who have left the service through force of economic circumstances or disruption of all education systems between January 1 2007 and March 9 2009,” reads part of Coltart’s statement.

He said it has been further agreed that the 2008 educational year would not be revisited, adding that the ministry intended regularising the 2009 calendar as soon as possible.

“In this regard, the 1st term and 2nd Term will end as originally advised. The 2nd Term will begin earlier on Tuesday 5 May instead of 12 May. The 3rd Term will begin 2 September instead of Tuesday 8 September,” he said.

Very little learning took place at public schools in 2008 as teachers spent the better part of the year striking for more pay or sitting at home because could not afford bus fare to work on their meagre salaries.

There has been virtually no learning at public schools since the new term officially began on January 27 because teachers were either on strike or unable to come to work.

The collapse of the education sector along with that of the public health system have come to symbolise the decayed state of Zimbabwe’s key infrastructure and institutions after a decade of acute recession.

Once a model African economy Zimbabwe is grappling with an unprecedented humanitarian crisis seen in acute shortages of food and basic commodities, amid an outbreak of cholera that has killed nearly 4 000 people since last August.

A new unity government formed two weeks ago by President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has raised hopes the country could finally emerge from its crisis.

But the success of the Harare administration hinges on its ability to raise financial support from rich Western countries that have however said they will not immediately help until they are convinced Mugabe is committed genuinely share power with Tsvangirai.

The Chronicle
Comment
25 February 2009

Schools are finally scheduled to open on Monday next week for the first term, a month after they were supposed to open. As the saying goes, it is better late than never.

We would like to applaud the teachers for putting the nation first and showing compassion for the schoolchildren by committing themselves to returning to work next week. The teachers should be commended seeing that though there have been negotiations, there has been no firm commitment or mention of figures as to how much they will get.

This is a sign of maturity by the professionals who have given the new Government a chance to resolve their grievances that the generality of the population are aware of.

The Government on Monday reached an agreement with the teachers’ representatives that teachers should report for duty on Monday next week while the Government looks into their grievances. Also, teachers who deserted the profession two years ago will be accepted back without any questions asked.

The Government, though short of financial resources, has already shown its willingness to get Zimbabwe working by making a commitment to pay civil servants in foreign currency and we believe that teachers will get something that compares reasonably with what obtains in the region.

It is our hope that as the teachers return to work on Monday they will fully dedicate themselves to their duties to make up for lost time since their role in moulding our nation cannot be overemphasised.
We also would like to send out an appeal to all teachers to reapply since all the signs are there that the good times will soon be back. They should take advantage of the amnesty and re-apply for teaching posts, and this should apply even to those doing menial jobs in neighbouring countries and overseas.

The Government that is in place right now came about after protracted negotiations showing the need for dialogue to resolve issues, and it is gratifying that the same method has been used in getting our teachers back to the classrooms.

The Minister of Education, Sport, Art and Culture, Senator David Coltart expressed the Government’s commitment to addressing the plight of teachers but emphasised the need for teachers to get back to class.

“We have committed ourselves that we will do all that we can to address the plight of teachers. Salary negotiations will continue while pupils are back in classrooms. However, it was impossible to come up with a figure because we are still consulting with donors and the Government. Once figures are available, we will then give them to teachers’ unions for discussion,” said Senator Coltart.

Teachers have received US$100 allowances along with other civil servants while at some schools that have opened parents were already paying teachers allowances in foreign currency.

It is our hope that as soon as the teachers get their pay, money set aside for their allowances by parents would be put to other use to improve the state of our schools.

Also, the adjustment of the school terms should make up for the lost time and the new Government should ensure that lines of communication remain open with all civil servants to avoid a recurrence of similar industrial action.

We salute the teachers for taking the right decision to return to work and urge all those who left the profession to come back and rescue the future of our children.

Zimonline
By Nokuthula Sibanda
Wednesday 25 February 2009

HARARE – Zimbabwean doctors who have been on an indefinite strike to press for more pay and better working conditions have resolved to go back to work apparently after the new government promised to address their grievances, a top union official said.

“We are now going back to work strictly on humanitarian grounds,” said Amon Serevegi Hospital Doctors Association president.

“The government has not promised us much, but we have made an undertaking that we will go back to work.”

Serevegi could not be drawn into disclosing what sort of concessions they had been given by the government.

The strike by mostly junior doctors last year led to a virtual collapse of the country’s health delivery system.

The doctor’s strike was later joined in by nurses, making the situation in state hospitals – the source of health services for the majority of Zimbabweans –virtually untenable.

Standards and service at the public health institutions that were once lauded as some of the best public hospitals in Africa have over the past decade collapsed after years of under-funding and mismanagement.

The announcement by the doctors came hours after teachers, who were also striking for more pay, announced that they were returning to work following meetings with Education Minister David Coltart.
Coltart met leaders of the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) and the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) last week to plead with the two unions that represent the country’s teachers to call off the strike has been going on since last year and had grounded the school system.
Meanwhile, PTUZ president Takawira Zhou said on Tuesday although they had agreed that teachers are going back to work, government should make an undertaking that teachers’ children do not pay fees.

“Although we have agreed to go back to work, government must make sure that children for teachers do not pay fees,” Zhou said.

“Government must also make sure that none of the teachers who were not reporting for work are victimised since they were not at work as a result of an economic crisis as they did not have bus fares while the other reason is that most of them were victims of political violence especially in the rural areas.”

Zim Daily
By MIRANDA DUBE
Published: Wednesday 25 February 2009

ZIMBABWE – HARARE – Scores of ordinary and advanced examinations markers yesterday thronged Belvedere Technical Teachers College for the second and final phase of the marking schedule.

The markers who came in their droves were seen scrambling for accommodation at Belvedere Technical Teachers College from where they are operating from forcing authorities to look for alternative accommodation outside the college.

“About 70 markers were ferried to Seke Teachers’ College (Monday). There was not enough space to accommodate them here,” said one official.

The official said some of the markers were scheduled to leave for Mutare yesterday in a development that will create space at Belvedere Technical Teachers College.

Some of the markers had stopped reporting for duty since January 2007 turned up this time around following indications by Government that they would be paid in foreign currency.

The teachers’ organisations also proposed a blanket amnesty to absconding teachers a position which the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart agreed in principle although he said he would seek permission of the Ministry of Public Service as the matter was out of his jurisdiction.

Early this week, Coltart said treasury had dispersed some money for the markers’ allowances.

He said he was waiting for a report from the Zimbabwe School Examination Council on markers’ turn out. However, Minister Coltart last week said markers should check with the irrespective provincial Zimsec offices to find out where their subjects were being marked and the script rates.

He said those who took part in the first phase of marking and those coming for the first time would be paid either in US dollars or South African Rand.

The markers would also be reimbursed any travelling expenses incurred during trips to marking venues. The ministry has held meetings with the donor community and asked for financial assistance to cover the marking costs as well as resuscitate the education sector.

New York Times
By CELIA W. DUGGER
Published: February 25, 2009

JOHANNESBURG — Two weeks after Zimbabwe’s opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, was sworn in as prime minister and joined President Robert Mugabe in governing, the archrivals are openly matching wits and wiles in a struggle to dominate the political landscape of a country whose people endure hunger, cholera and political repression.

A senior official in Mr. Tsvangirai’s party, Eddie Cross, wrote recently that this contest was playing out “building by building, street by street, close combat between two forces.”

So far, Mr. Mugabe and hard-liners in his party, ZANU-PF, have remained true to form, ruthlessly claiming the prerogatives of power. But Mr. Tsvangirai and major opposition ministers — especially those for finance and education — have shown a willingness to confront them and seize the initiative where they can.

Mr. Mugabe, the 85-year-old patriarch who vowed during the election last year that only God could unseat him after nearly three decades in office, made a typically daring power grab on Wednesday through the state media that are his mouthpiece. He had The Herald post a list of the senior civil servants he had unilaterally picked to lead every ministry, something forbidden by the power-sharing agreement he and Mr. Tsvangirai signed.

Mr. Tsvangirai, who is supposed to manage the day-to-day operations of the government, called a news conference in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, and issued a statement saying the move violated the agreement, declaring it “null and void.”

But their skirmishes have sprawled far beyond the halls of government. Even as Mr. Tsvangirai has vowed to restore the rule of law, militias associated with Mr. Mugabe’s party have sought to take over white-owned farms, though a regional tribunal of judges ruled that the owners were entitled to keep their land under the terms of a treaty that Zimbabwe and other southern African nations had adopted.
The violent, chaotic seizure of thousands of white-owned farms from 2000 to 2003 helped destroy Zimbabwe’s commercial farming sector and contributed to the collapse of food production, economists say.

Mr. Tsvangirai said Wednesday that a new wave of what he called illegal farming disruptions must stop and told the ministers of home affairs — one from his party, one from Mr. Mugabe’s — to “bring the full weight of the law down on the perpetrators.”

But Mr. Tsvangirai has made the same demands privately to Mr. Mugabe, and so far the shared control of the Home Ministry and the police force it oversees has evidently left Mr. Tsvangirai unable to exert authority.

On Wednesday, Mike Campbell, the farmer who originally challenged the government’s seizure of his farm in the regional tribunal and won — though only after he and his wife were viciously beaten during a land invasion in June — found his farm in Chegutu again under threat. A group of invaders associated with a powerful ZANU-PF official who wants his land came demanding that he leave.

Mr. Campbell, 76, and his wife, Angela, 66, departed for Harare, but their son Bruce and son-in-law Ben Freeth stayed to guard the place. Mr. Freeth said in a telephone interview that the family requested police protection in the afternoon, but by evening it was not forthcoming.

“We will try to sort out anything that comes,” said Mr. Freeth, whose skull and ribs were fractured during the attack by invaders in June.

Mr. Tsvangirai has also failed to win the release of human rights and political advocates who have been abducted by state security agents. Even Roy Bennett, a white farmer who is one of his closest allies and his choice to be deputy agriculture minister, remains in a fetid prison cell in the eastern city of Mutare on what the opposition says are trumped-up terrorism charges, even though Mr. Tsvangirai had personally guaranteed that Mr. Bennett would appear in court and a judge on Tuesday ordered his release on bail.

But Mr. Tsvangirai and his combative finance minister, Tendai Biti, have managed to come up with enough money to give each soldier, police officer, teacher and civil servant a monthly allowance of $100 in foreign currency. The army has been plagued with desertions, and most schools have ceased to function because hyperinflation has made teachers’ salaries so worthless that they do not even cover bus fare to work.

Two million of Zimbabwe’s three million schoolchildren are now out of the classroom, the new education minister, David Coltart, estimated. This week, he persuaded teachers to go back to work, though they had gotten the token $100 only for February, with no guarantees for the future.
The leaders of the two main teacher unions said in interviews on Wednesday that they were convinced Mr. Coltart was sincerely trying to raise more money from donors to pay teachers a decent salary — and had asked the 62,000 teachers they represent to go back to work.

“We are banking on the hope and trust that the minister will deliver on the promises that have been made,” said Tendai Chikowore, leader of the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association.

Afrol News,
25 February 2009

Zimbabwean teachers have agreed to end a year long strike after the government promised to review salaries. Teachers had demanded to be paid in foreign currency to cope with the country’s hyperinflation currently estimated at 231 million percent.

According to the state run newspaper, The Herald, the newly appointed Education Minister David Coltart, said the government has agreed to review teachers salaries and address some of their grievances.

Mr Coltart had also reportedly requested UNICEF and other donors for US$ 458 million dollars to kick-start the education system, which has been grappled by long dragging strike.

“I am very sympathetic to the fact that many of the teachers who didn’t report for duty simply couldn’t, because they didn’t even have enough money for the bus fare,” he said.

President of the Progressive Teachers’ Union in Zimbabwe, Takavafira Zhou, said teachers have agreed to return to work but have requested exemption from paying school fees for their children.

Mr Zhou said that the deal also includes teachers to not be punished if they fail to report to school for economic and political reasons. “We also agreed that after three months, teachers’ salaries must be reviewed to meet regional standards of R15,000 ($1,500) a month,” he said.

Early this year, the Zimbabwean government postponed reopening of schools for two weeks pending the completion of the marking of 2008 national examinations. However, to-date, the results are still not published.

Last year, teachers began a year on a very low note, dragging their feet demanding about US$800 per month, which the government said it was ridiculous. Teachers in Zimbabwe are among the least paid in the civil service.

Earlier this month, the central bank cut 12 zeros off the local currency reducing one trillion dollars to one dollar, for the country to be able to cope with the inflation. The government also announced that civil servants will be paid in US dollars.

SW Radioafrica
Violet Gonda
25 February 2009

5 WOZA members have been detained at Harare Central while 9 are being treated for injuries, after being severely beaten by police on Wednesday. The group were waiting to present a petition to David Coltart, the new Education Minister, when they were set upon by riot police.

WOZA leader Jennie Williams said the pressure group had an official appointment to meet Coltart and had been gathering peacefully waiting for him.

She said 450 activists marched to the government building but were violently dispersed by the riot police “who were banging their shields and singing, “today we are going to beat you” as they descended on the group and viciously began to do so. They later changed their song to why are your husbands allowing you to demonstrate?”

As the women were driven off to Harare Central police station they were heard singing “we want education for our children.”

WOZA has embarked on a campaign to have the non-operational education sector declared a ‘national disaster’ and to allow children who were disadvantaged by the education crisis last year an opportunity to repeat, at no cost.

They had wanted to hand a petition with 25,000 signatures to the Education Minister, who criticized the manner in which the police handled the situation.

The Minister, who is proving to be more tolerant than his predecessors, promised WOZA that he would do everything in his power to ensure that every child goes back to school.

But the so-called inclusive government is facing many challenges since its formation two week ago.
The police continue to use unnecessary force to deal with peaceful protestors, the political detainees are still in custody in gross violation of the global political agreement and Robert Mugabe continues to making important government decisions without consulting his partners in the power share government. This was best illustrated this week when Mugabe announced the appointment of permanent secretaries – all from his party.

RadioVop
25 February 2009

HARARE, – Education Minister David Coltart has made a plea to teachers to go back to work amid reports that in Chimanimani a headman is turning away teachers who fled political violence as commercial banks are also failing to cash the USD 100 vouchers paid as allowances to all civil servants.

Headman Caleb Zimunda of Zimunda area in Chimanimani, was allegedly refusing to allow teachers to return, threatening them with fresh violence while many civil servants, including teachers, were on Wednesday stuck in winding queues at banks – which have run out of the needed foreign currency.

‘Since we returned to the school on the 12th of this month, the headman has been harassing us. One of the teachers who has been on the headman’s ‘wanted list’ was last week dragged at the headman’s village court and fined a goat for allegedly influencing the local villagers to vote for the MDC during the March harmonized elections,’ said a teacher at Sigmund primary school.

The teacher who has now left the school said he was now making efforts to transfer from the school.

‘Unless the safety of teachers is guaranteed, most teachers will not be able to go back to their schools in some rural areas as some Zanu PF supporters and chiefs are refusing to embrace the all inclusive government,’ said the teacher.

Coltart said an agreement had been reached with the Zimbabwe Teachers Association and the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe to get all schools functioning again after protracted negotiations.

“We jointly expect all teachers to report for duty by the 2nd of March 2009 and that all the schools will be fully functional by 9th March 2009,” he said.

Zimbabwe’s teachers have been on strike since last year when they worked for an average 23 days only. Teachers resumed the strike this year, resulting in schools failing to open in January. They are demanding foreign currency salaries of no less than USD 2 300 among others. Grade Seven, O and A level examinations remain unmarked.

Coltart disclosed that his ministries and the two teachers’ unions agreed on seven points, chief among them that teachers that had been absent from duty due to the industrial action be granted given amnesty and that the March 2009 salaries and allowances would be agreed upon through negotiations in order to bring teachers’ salaries in line with the regional average.

However on Wednesday hordes of civil servants, including teachers, were stranded in the capital after failing to cash their USD 100 vouchers at most banks and building societies, which had run out of foreign currency. The vouchers are part of the civil servants’ allowances.

Coltart said it had been further agreed that the 2008 educational year would not be revisited, adding that ministry intended regularizing the 2009 calendar as soon as possible.

“In this regard, the 1st term and 2nd Term will end as originally advised. The 2nd Term will begin earlier on Tuesday 5 May instead of 12 May. The 3rd Term will begin 2 September instead of Tuesday 8 September,” he said.

Business Day
By Dumisani Muleya
25 February 2009

SOUTHERN African Development Community (SADC) finance ministers, including SA’s Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, will meet in Cape Town today to discuss Zimbabwe’s economic recovery plan amid news the country needs $1bn to pay vital obligations.

The summit, which comes a day ahead of the SADC council of ministers conference — also to be held in Cape Town tomorrow — is critical as it could inspire or undermine confidence in Zimbabwe’s new unity government.

Western countries and donors have said that they would wait to see if the new government was serious about tackling the country’ s economic malaise before providing aid. Some are sceptical the arrangement can work while President Robert Mugabe remains at the helm.

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said the country needs at least $5bn to ensure recovery. Economic experts, however, suggest $10bn is needed for reconstruction.

Zimbabwe’s economy collapsed under Mugabe’s leadership, and policy failures have reduced the country to a failed state.

The economy, its agricultural base destroyed by violent land seizures, has experienced 10 years of negative growth. Its inflation rate is the world’s highest . Compounding efforts to rebuild the country, its infrastructure — roads, airports, railway networks, schools, hospitals and clinics, waterworks, power stations and bridges — is collapsing.

Official documents show that Zimbabwe needs more than $1bn to cover essential imports and overdue debts. Payments outstanding include bills for food, fuel, electricity, as well as debt to Equatorial Guinea for oil and financial aid.

Education Minister David Coltart said yesterday $438m was needed to stabilise the education sector.
“The ideal amount of money we need is $438m, and that is just for the first six months.

“Now in the current economic climate — and in the context of world recession — that is a completely unattainable figure. So we have to cut it. We are hoping to raise $80m.”

Coltart held marathon meetings with teachers’ union representatives in a bid to persuade teachers to end their strike and return to work by next month. Teachers, who were paid R1000 last week, have been on strike since last year.

Zimbabwe used to have the highest literacy rate in Africa, but literacy has plummeted throughout the drawn-out political and economic crisis.

Besides the SADC finance ministers’ summit and the SADC council of ministers conference, there is another crucial meeting today in which Zimbabwe will feature prominently. That meeting is between SA’s President Kgalema Motlanthe and United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who arrived in SA yesterday.

Motlanthe and Ban are expected to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe among other issues. They will also discuss the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Somalia, Madagascar and the Middle East situation.

Other issues on their agenda include the Durban Review Conference on Racism, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance , the global crisis, climate change and the reform of the UN .

The UN on Monday pledged to help Zimbabwe tackle its critical humanitarian crisis . The country faces chronic food shortages and a cholera epidemic.

The World Health Organisation last week said that 3759 people who had contracted the disease had died.

A total of 80250 cases had so far been reported.

A visiting UN team promised to deal with the humanitarian situation gripping the country after meeting Mugabe on Monday.

UN assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and deputy emergency relief co-ordinator Catherine Bragg said the world body would step up efforts to help Zimbabwe.

“We are focusing on cholera and any form of humanitarian assistance the UN can offer,” she said.
Bragg visited cholera treatment facilities to assess the situation.

She also met the ministers of labour, education, health, agriculture and foreign affairs.