Southern Eye

By Nqobani Ndlovu

28 September 2015

FORMER Education Minister, David Coltart, has said the white community has a role to play in the country’s politics despite their public ridicule by President Robert Mugabe.

In an interview with Southern Eye, Coltart described politicians who always raised the racial card during campaigns as misguided and divisive elements.

“Race and ethnicity is always used by unscrupulous politicians to promote their own support — so I just disregard those comments,” Coltart said.

“I remain involved in politics because I am a Zimbabwean, born and bred here, and love this country and all her people. I can’t speak for others, but that is why I am involved.”

Coltart said whites have a role to play in Zimbabwe’s politics, just like any other citizen.

“Whites have a role to play – every citizen has a role to play – in the politics of Zimbabwe, so long as we remember the role that we have played in creating the bitterness that exists in the country. In other words whites who have an agenda of re-creating Rhodesia belong to another age and cannot make a useful contribution to politics.”

“Whilst they have a constitutional right to pursue their own agenda — so I am not saying they can’t — that sort of involvement is not constructive. However, those whites who have a vision for a tolerant, multi-racial, democratic and free Zimbabwe have an important role to play,” he added.

During his lavish 91 birthday celebrations in Victoria Falls early this year, Mugabe threatened to kick out the remaining white conservationists from game parks, saying he will only allow them to own animal sanctuaries if the United States unconditionally lifts sanctions imposed on his family and members of his inner circle.

In 2000, Mugabe allowed Zanu PF supporters to grab white-owned farms as part of his government’s land reform programme to “correct colonial imbalances that condemned blacks to poor soils”.

Newsday

25 September 2015

Data released by the United Nations (UN) shows that Zimbabwe has the highest, if not the best, ratio of school books per student, a feat achieved despite incredible odds and often controversial methods used by private citizens to make sure children stay in school.

The dusty Hatcliffe Extension suburb boasts a controversial history. It’s at this place that thousands of families were forcibly relocated to during the 2005 urban clean up called Operation Murambatsvina.

The plastic tents have made way to brick houses, children make their way to not-so ordinary schools.

Dozens of unregistered schools have sprouted up to meet the needs of a minority group.

Learners at these schools make up the 6% of primary school-goers, who haven’t been able to enrol in formal schools.

Authorities are trying to encourage the schools to register with the Education ministry.

On the other hand, the United Nations says despite the social challenges caused by an economic crisis over the last decade, Zimbabwe has not only met the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)regarding access to primary education, but also remains Africa’s education flagship.

According to UN resident co-ordinator, Bishow Parajuli in terms of enrolment, Zimbabwe boasts almost 95% and for text book availability, he thinks the country has the highest ratio in Africa, following former Education Minister David Coltart’s successful Education Transition Fund textbook programme.

The UN attributes the achievement to significant government spending on education in the early years and aggressive overseas development aid in the latter years. Zimbabweans have also been commended for valuing education highly.

Schools say in their small unrecognised way they too have contributed to the MDGs. They maintain that they have given parents an option and kept children in school, those who might otherwise have dropped out.

Financial Gazette

By Tabitha Mutenga

24 September 2015

Teaching is one of those very noble professions that are, unfortunately, losing their prestige. Many of the country’s educators have gone for months without being paid their wages.

Those who have had their salaries withdrawn, were victims of a spirited government witch hunt to flush out ghost workers in the civil service. The ghost workers have principally been blamed for bleeding State coffers.

Earning a salary of US$350 per month, which is way below the country’s US$495 poverty datum line, teachers have always threatened to go on strike at the beginning of each term, hoping that their employer could become sympathetic to their plight and increase their wages.

But negotiations between government and teachers unions have failed to yield positive results.

To compound the teacher’s plight, government in April this year embarked on the civil service audit in an effort to establish the size of its workforce and weed out ghost workers. The audit has been criticised, by many, for targeting teachers and not the rest of the civil service.

An audit conducted in 2011 revealed that there were more than 75 000 ghost workers in the civil service. Interestingly, the current campaign would give an indication that all the ghost workers were from the teaching profession where reportedly hordes of ZANU-PF militia and supporters were strategically placed to draw a salary from government without raising suspicion.

However, instead of weeding out the real ghost workers, the head count, which most teachers described as a witch-hunt, saw genuine teachers being targeted and forcing them to go unpaid for the past three months after government froze their salaries arguing that the teachers were the ghost workers the government was looking for.

Most of those affected had been on leave of sanctioned absence when the audit took place.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general, Raymond Majongwe, said government was unlikely to offer the struggling teachers anything after failing to commit itself to solving the myriad of challenges they faced.

“The head count has physically and mentally drained teachers, who feel intimidated by the whole process. Their employer has not been committed to solving the challenges currently bedevilling the profession yet they expect results from the system in which they have repeatedly failed to invest in,” Majongwe said.

“Shoddy planning by government has had a negative impact on innocent teachers who were on study leave, maternity leave, vacation and sick leave, after communicating with their superiors. The same employer approved these leave days, yet they froze their salaries.”

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general, Raymond Majongwe

Majongwe also claimed that as one of the teacher’s representatives, the union was yet to see the audit report by the Public Service Commission (PSC).

“If there is nothing to hide why make the report a secret? This means these people have a hidden agenda. If this whole exercise had no clandestine motives why was the Minister of Education not engaged?” Majongwe questioned.

At the beginning of the third term, government launched a teacher-pupils ratio count at different schools as part of efforts to flush out more ghost teachers.

Teacher unions reported that some teachers had already lost their jobs through the new process.

“When government launched the (second) audit, the ghost workers disappeared. These dubious characters that would only surface on pay days were nowhere to be found. Government should come out clean and explain because it is responsible for placing these people in schools in the first place,” said Majongwe.

The exercise meant to help contain the huge wage bill gobbling more than 80 percent of the budget will not only affect the teachers but the whole education system.

Former Minister of Education, David Coltart, said while there was need for government to conduct the civil service audit, the manner in which it was conducted damaged the education sector.

“We need to understand that we have a shortage of qualified teachers, especially in certain disciplines such as maths and science. So any audit should not be looking at mere numbers but specific needs. As I understand it, if teachers were found not to be at their posts they were taken off the payroll, effectively fired, without any regard to their particular soil set. If that is correct, it is going to have deleterious consequences.

“There is a shortage of qualified teachers in Zimbabwe, especially in rural schools and particularly in remote areas like Binga where there are high numbers of unqualified teachers. No qualified teacher should be laid off in my view. They need to be identified and moved to areas where there are few qualified teachers,” Coltart said.

During his tenure as education minister, to ensure that there were enough qualified teachers in the country. Coltart initiated a US$26 million teacher re-training programme designed, in part, to help unqualified teachers become qualified.

“We need to identify our best unqualified teachers and ensure they are not fired but included in these training programmes,” Coltart advised.

Reports by teacher unions show that the audit and spot checks by the PSC were characterised by threats and harassment. In Bulawayo there were reports of auditors conducting a roll call during the school holidays and any teacher not present was deemed absent without official leave.

“We have been informed from Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Midlands, Matabeleland North, Harare and Manicaland that for the past few days teachers are holed at their station including those on legitimate authorised leave. Several school heads are reported to be tightening screws on their staff members. Reports are saying the same PSC officers are instructing heads to compile lists of all ‘troublesome’ teachers and hand them over to the district offices. Our own investigations have proved that some heads are using this opportunity to abuse their own teachers and get even with those who always stand up for their rights. The elderly heads are also being intimidated by the so-called ‘forced retirement’ while intimidating their staff as well,” said a report by PTUZ.

The audit is indicative of a desperate government, which is unable to meet its salary bill and so is acting in panic to reduce that bill.

“I question why teachers are being targeted. Although they constitute almost two thirds of the civil service that is an insufficient ground to want to fire them? Education should be our absolute priority; if we are to secure our future then we have no choice but to protect education and the most important element of any education sector is its body of teachers. I question why for example the military, CIO or police have not been targeted in a similar way. Most of our police seem to spend their days manning roadblocks surely it should be higher national priority to ensure that our children’s education is protected than manning roadblocks. Likewise there is no threat of war so why are we keeping the number of soldiers so high? How much money could be saved if we cut back in those areas?” Coltart asked.

Eyewitness News

18 September 2015

Activists say the duty will put the price of books, including school text books, beyond the reach of most.

JOHANNESBURG – The education sector and book lovers in Zimbabwe have condemned a decision by President Robert Mugabe’s government to slap a 40 percent import duty on books.

Activists say the duty will put the price of books including school text books beyond the reach of most.

Former Education Minister David Coltart says the new tax violates an agreement Zimbabwe signed with UNESCO in 1998, promising not to impose duty on book imports.

He says the new 40 percent tax will undermine schools and libraries, which are still battling to recover.

During his four-year tenure as minister in Zimbabwe’s coalition government, Coltart oversaw a donor-funded project to distribute millions of new text books in schools.

Arts and culture rights group, the Nhimbe Trust, says this new duty was imposed to protect local publishers, but will instead create shortages of books and harm children’s education.

VOA

Gibbs Dube

18 September

WASHINGTON D.C.—

Being white in Zimbabwe has for the past decade been a nightmare for some following an often-violent land reform program that began in 2000, dispossessing them of fertile farming land.

Many white Zimbabweans told VOA they still feel like they belong, adding they have never known any other country and will stay in the country regardless.

Former white commercial farmer, Alex Goosen says he’s not bothered by the recent history between the white community and the ruling Zanu PF, adding he’s not bitter that he lost land that he had coveted over the years as a family treasure.

Affectionately known locally as Tshuma, a common surname in the Matabeleland region, Goosen, aka Magxozindenda, literally meaning someone with welling saliva, says many members of Zimbabwe’s white community whom he knows have moved on and living happily in their new circumstances.

Goosen lost his farm to invaders despite his deep roots in the Mguza community where he lived harmoniously with locals.

He says he has moved on and is currently operating some businesses in Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo.

The love for the local Ndebele language has healed some of his wounds, he adds.

“I am proud of being Ndebele,” he says. “The Zimbabwean people are probably the most-friendly people in the world.”

He dismisses assertions that some whites in Zimbabwe, mostly those who were affected by the land reforms, are isolating themselves.

“You can’t isolate yourself in a country like this. We all want to survive. We all trade,” said Goosen. “You want something like siphathelene a road runner.”

His colleague, Ben Frieth of the Southern African Development Community Tribunal, however, is still a bitter man following violent farm invasions in his area, which left one of his close relatives dead.

Frieth says he is still seeking redress for alleged injustices committed on white commercial farmers.

“President Mugabe is getting away with racist practices. I told a U.S congressional team that racism is wrong,” adds Freeth.

He believes that there was no need for the government to use force when it introduced its land reforms, which have been widely criticized by countries like the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia resulting in them imposing restrictive sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and members of his inner circle.

The West accused President Mugabe and his government of committing serious human rights abuses and rigging elections.

For Ian Kay, a commercial farmer who also suffered at the hands of land invaders, life goes on despite racial outbursts at times from some in the ruling elite.

Some white Zimbabweans like David Coltart, an attorney and former education minister, Zanu PF is still behaving as if it is waging an armed liberation struggle in a country that attained independence in 1980.

“Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF practice politics of the 1960s. The vast majority of people have moved on,” says Coltart. “We still suffer the legacy of war there is need for reconciliation.”

Goosen believes that all this is unnecessary as most Zimbabweans, including whites, are struggling to make ends meet due to the current harsh economic climate. He adds that some whites who left the country are now coming back to Zimbabwe regardless.

On the other hand, Frieth argues that President Mugabe has failed to unite the nation as per his pledge to cater for the needs of all Zimbabweans when he became the country’s first black leader. As a result, he says, some scared white farmers have stopped most commercial activities due to fears that their land will be taken over by the government.

But Zanu PF Central Committee member and Member of Parliament for Pelandaba-Mpopoma, Joseph Tshuma, dismisses these fears, arguing that farmers will lose their land if they don’t utilize it productively.

For Goosen, the solution is for young white children to learn the local language so they can team-up with their black counterparts to create a democratic nation.

“The next generation will change this,” he says.

Some within the community argue that much needs to be done to transform Zimbabwe into a rainbow nation as was promised by the government in 1980 when the country attained its independence from British rule.

Southern Eye

By Nqobani Ndlovu

18 September 2015

FORMER Education minister David Coltart has accused the Zanu PF government of violating the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) statutes by charging customs and import duty on textbooks and other reading material.

In a statement on Thursday, Coltart, who served as Education minister in the inclusive government between 2009 and 2013, said the recent 40% customs duty imposed on books and other reading material violated Statutory Instruments 192 and 193 of the 1950 Unesco Treaty which prohibit charging of duty on imported educational, scientific and cultural materials.

Zimbabwe is a signatory to the Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials, also known as the Florence Agreement, or simply the Unesco Treaty.

Materials covered by the treaty include printed books, newspapers, periodicals, government publications, printed music, works of art, antiques over 100 years old, scientific instruments used in education or research, and educational films. The agreement does not apply to materials that contain excessive amounts of advertising.’

“The law is outrageous. Not only does it breach this Unesco agreement, but it will also undermine our already battling libraries and seriously undermine the quality of education in Zimbabwe,” Coltart said.

“I call upon Patrick Chinamasa (Finance minister) to repeal this new law immediately. I trust that Unesco will also complain to the Zimbabwean government and take whatever action it is allowed to if the Zimbabwean government remains in breach.”

On September 1 this year, government gazetted duty increases and reductions for several goods and items in line with its proposals and subsequent statutory instruments on customs and excise duty. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority is enforcing these new tariffs and all book imports would be charged 40% plus $1 per kilogramme.

The increase in import duty will likely cause a sharp rise in the prices of books.

VOA

Gibbs Dube

17 September 2015

WASHINGTON DC—

When Zimbabwe came out of a brutal war of liberation in 1980, then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe offered a hand of reconciliation to former white minority colonizers saying oppression by blacks or whites was despicable.

Mr. Mugabe called for co-existence between the Rhodesian Front, then led by Ian Douglas Smith, and liberation parties – Joshua Nkomo’s PF Zapu and the prime minister’s Zanu PF.

At that time there were almost 300,000 whites living in the new Zimbabwe. Today, according to official records, there are only about 40,000 whites left in the southern African nation. Some of them came under attack during Zanu PF’s land reforms that started in 2000.

What does it mean to be a white person living in Zimbabwe?

Among the people who have pledged allegiance to Zimbabwe’s national anthem, are whites who were born and bred in Zimbabwe.

One of them is David Coltart, an attorney, former Rhodesian serviceman and education minister in the defunct 2009 unity government, who says this is his only home.

Coltart says most Zimbabweans, who like their black counterparts endured years of brutal abuse at the hands of white settlers, are not racists.

“I have an affinity for the flag. I love our national anthem, I love the tune though some of the words are offensive,” he says.

According to the former Movement for Democratic Change lawmaker, his family has been living in harmony with blacks for many years, an indication that whites are part of life in Zimbabwe.

“Zimbabwe remains a wonderful place to live in because despite all the hate speeches being spewed out by Zanu PF the fact of the matter is that we have remarkably good race relations in this country.”

This is despite the fact that Coltart was in the Rhodesian military fighting against so-called terrorists aligned to Zapu and Zanu.

The former lawmaker is well-known for assisting in the crafting of a comprehensive booklet on alleged Five Brigade atrocities in Matabeleland and the Midlands provinces in the 1980s, which left thousands of people dead and displaced.

Another white Zimbabwean, Ian Kay, who describes himself as a family man, says his roots are in Marondera province.

“Zimbabwe is my home, there is no need to leave. It’s my birth right and so don’t take political rhetoric too seriously. A handful of people wanted me out,” says Kay.

He used to play with black children when he was a child and this made him feel wanted by local communities.

He was attacked by some suspected Zanu PF activists when Zimbabwe introduced its land reform program in 2000, resulting in more than 3,600 white commercial farmers losing lucrative land to indigenous people.

The Herald

16 September 2015

ZANU-PF Politburo member Cde Sikhanyiso “Duke” Ndlovu, who died yesterday morning, has been described as a dedicated liberation icon, educationist and a champion for development.

Cde Ndlovu (78), died at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo after an asthma attack and subsequent stroke last week. Former Midlands governor and zanu-pf Politburo member Cde Cephas Msipa said: “It’s a very sad thing that has happened.

“Sikhanyiso was a dedicated cadre for many years. From the beginning of the liberation struggle, he never looked back. He had his hand on the plough all the time.” Cde Msipa, a one-time zapu secretary general, worked with Cde Ndlovu closely before and after independence, leading to the unification of the two liberation movements in 1987.

“He was also a dedicated and loyal member of the party who loved his country. Education was in his heart so much that during the struggle, he was in charge of our education office. He was in charge of securing scholarships for our students in various universities. Sikhanyiso was a very dedicated man who spent his life working for the people.”

Cde Joshua Malinga, the zanu-pf secretary for the disabled in the Politburo, added: “The death of Cde Ndlovu is a major loss. He was one of the outstanding struggle icons, a developer and educationist.

“A lot of people have developed from him. We’ll miss him and his ideas of advancing education and development in the country. He was a fearless and vocal person who articulated the principles he believed in without fear or favour and a good representative of the people he stood for.”

Cde Malinga said the former Cabinet minister and Mpopoma MP was a “seasoned politician who went through the mill and through all levels of the liberation movement — from cell, politburo, detention to prison and also represented zapu very well in America and everywhere else he was deployed.”

Another Politburo member Cde Absolom Sikhosana described Cde Ndlovu as a revolutionary icon with an impeccable liberation history.

“He belonged to that crop of leaders who treasured the ideals of the liberation struggle and never lost focus. The contribution he made to the liberation of this country is very humbling and because of that we’re very devastated by his death,” said Cde Sikhosana.

Professor Jonathan Moyo, the zanu-pf secretary for science and technology in the Politburo, described Cde Ndlovu as a “balancing force” for his role in keeping extremists at bay following post-independence conflict between the liberation movements which culminated in the signing of the Unity Accord in 1987.

“It’s so sad that Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu has passed on,” Prof Moyo said. “He was a true hero and balancing force who was a fountain of wisdom.”

Former education minister David Coltart said: “I’m sorry to hear of his passing. Although we differed in politics, he had a passion for education.”

Home Affairs Minister and zanu-pf secretary for administration Cde Ignatius Chombo, who was in Bulawayo last Thursday, visited Cde Ndlovu in hospital accompanied by Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Eunice Nomthandazo Moyo.

Before his visit, Cde Chombo said Cde Ndlovu was a decorated freedom fighter whose contribution in pre and post-independence Zimbabwe would always be treasured.

Cde Chombo said Cde Ndlovu played an instrumental role in the signing of the 1987 Unity Accord between pf-zapu and Zanu and always preached unity for Zimbabweans.

zanu-pf Bulawayo acting provincial spokesperson Cde Dennis Ndlovu said the country has been robbed of a revolutionary stalwart whose good works pre and post-independence cannot be questioned.

“We’ve lost a great man in the province. The country has lost a hard worker who empowered many people especially through education. Many people were educated in his colleges,” he said.

Mpopoma Pelandaba legislator Cde Joseph Tshuma said the constituency, once held by Cde Ndlovu before the 2000 elections, was in deep mourning following Cde Ndlovu’s death.

“He was a very generous man who took a leading role in developing the constituency and securing scholarships for students in the area. He also sponsored a number of students from his personal funds,” said Cde Tshuma.

“He spearheaded transport development in the area with the Mpopoma Development Trust by bringing commuter omnibuses for the constituents and also boosted computer literacy by setting up information centres in Mpopoma and Entumbane.”

Cde Tshuma, who was mentored by Cde Ndlovu, said he benefited immensely from the former minister’s guidance.

“I will greatly miss him. I’m like an orphan now but I will always work hard to fulfil his dream of having development in the constituency,” he said.

The MDC led by Professor Welshman Ncube said it learnt with great sadness of the death of Cde Ndlovu.