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

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

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

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.

Newsday

By Richard Chidza/ Moses Matenga

OPPOSITION MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has hailed former Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s “bold step” to re-enter the political fray, this time as an opposition politician.

“For us, the fact that liberation struggle icons have joined the opposition in articulating what Zimbabweans have been hoping for all these years is indeed a breath of fresh air,” he said in a statement yesterday.

“With the majority of Zimbabweans gearing for a new beginning, this week’s developments confirm that there is hope indeed for the future.”

The MDC-T leader, who is said to be pondering a coalition with Mujuru, said the former Vice-President’s move indicated Zanu PF’s impending demise.

“There has been a lot of speculation on the proper position of President Morgan Tsvangirai regarding the entrance of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru into the political fray, as a fellow opposition leader,” a statement from Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka said.

“First, Tsvangirai’s position regarding the whole issue is that the bold step taken by Mujuru to finally and completely break ranks with Zanu PF confirms the inevitable demise of Zanu PF.

“We are heartened by her realisation that the opposition has been right all along that the crisis in the country has been about leadership, corruption and a bad governance culture by those in the stewardship of the State.

“We feel vindicated by her acknowledgement of the imperative for a new direction for the country.”

Early this week, Mujuru unveiled her People First party policy document, regarded by many as a political manifesto signalling her grand entry into opposition politics, almost nine months after she was booted out of both government and Zanu PF on allegations of plotting to assassinate President Robert Mugabe.

Mujuru, who had served as Mugabe’s deputy for 10 years, has denied the charges and challenged her accusers to present evidence.

Although Mujuru is yet to officially launch her party, several opposition parties have expressed interest in forming a grand coalition with her to challenge Mugabe’s Zanu PF party in the 2018 elections.

Former Finance minister and People’s Democratic Party leader Tendai Biti yesterday told party members in Harare that he was ready to engage all democratic forces, including Mujuru’s People First.

MDC spokesperson Kurauone Chihwayi said they were ready as a party to work with anyone to ensure Zanu PF was ousted, but they were yet to make a position on the possibility of a coalition as Mujuru has not yet officially launched her party.

Former Education minister and MDC official David Coltart, however, warned that the coalition could be derailed by leaders’ personal egos.

“For as long as every competent leader wants to be President, building a coalition against Zanu PF will remain difficult, if not impossible. There can be only one President. Tsvangirai, Mujuru, (MDC leader Welshman) Ncube, Biti, (Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe leader Elton) Mangoma, (Zapu leader Dumiso) Dabengwa, (MKD leader Simba) Makoni and any other aspiring leader must remember that,” he said.

National Constitutional Assembly spokesperson Madock Chivasa welcomed Mujuru into opposition politics, but vowed they would never join hands with her party.

“We believe her coming-in is a reflection of democracy. We say good luck to her and we will meet in elections,” he said.

The Herald

10 September 2015

ZIMBABWE’S swimming icon Kirsty Coventry reasserted her claim as the best female African swimmer of all time when she grabbed the first gold medal for her country at the on-going 2015 African Games in Congo Brazzaville on Tuesday night. The 2015 African Games continued with yet more wins for the South African contingent, a team who has been dominant thus far in the competition taking place in Congo Brazzaville. But, one lone Zimbabwean, Coventry, proved mighty enough to stop a full day’s worth of gold medals for South Africa on Day 3 of the meet on Tuesday, en route to making some history of her own.

Coventry was the only non-South African to stand atop the podium in Tuesday night’s finals session. Her time of 1:01.15 beat out the 100m backstroke field and gave Coventry her third consecutive African Games win in the event, having already claimed gold in the 2007 and 2011 editions of the Games in Algeria and Mozambique.

She holds the 100m backstroke African Games record with her 1:00.86 performance from 2011. Coventry also won the 200m backstroke event at both the 2007 and 2011 versions of the meet, therefore, the Zimbabwean is looking to three-peat across both of these backstroke races in the 2015 Games.

Coventry also still sits as the 200m record-holder in 2:10.66. But, the 31-year-old doesn’t stop there. Coventry is also looking to three-peat in the 200m IM, an event she has won in 2007 and 2001 as well. Guess who owns the 200m IM record? Yup, Coventry in 2:13.02 (2007).

The Sport and Recreation Commission who in charge of Team Zimbabwe to the Games were among the first to congratulate Coventry for her latest exploits.

“The Sport and Recreation Commission board, management and staff would like to express its hearty congratulations to Team Zimbabwe to the African Games and in particular Kirsty Coventry for winning their first gold medal at the Games. “Kirsty won a gold medal in 100m backstroke. This is not only a demonstration that Kirsty is still the Queen of the waters but it is a bold statement about her unquestionable commitment to serving our beloved country at any sporting event.

“Going forward it is the SRC’s hope and anticipation that other sporting persons from the registered 45 national associations will learn from Kirsty what patriotism and serving the nation is all about. “Kirsty a holder of seven Olympic medals and has been winning medals at the then All-Africa Games since 2007 but at no point has she ever turned on her country.

“As the SRC we are generally pleased by her performance and we hope that the performance that she has just posted will spur the other teams to also do well during these Games.

“Once again Congratulations Kirsty and thank you for flying our flag high above other nations in Congo Brazzaville,” read a statement from the Commission. Former Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart also added his voice in congratulating Zimbabwe’s swimming sensation Coventry.

Coltart wrote on his FaceBook wall: “Kirsty Coventry won the 100 metre backstroke Gold this evening in Brazzaville in the All-Africa Games (now called African Games). “Kirsty will not be swimming tomorrow (yesterday) but swims again on Thursday and Friday. “Go Kirsty! Doing us all proud again. What a patriot!” wrote Coltart.

Meanwhile, to kick-off South Africa’s golden night on Tuesday, Karin Prinsloo doubled up on her 200m freestyle victory from earlier in the meet with a 400m freestyle victory. Her time of 4:18.86 was enough to hold off the competition today and give the South African her second individual win thus far. South African teammate, Tatjana Schoenmaker, also racked up her second victory, touching the wall first in the women’s 50m breaststroke. Her time of 32.49 earned her the gold to add to the 200m breaststroke win she claimed on day 2.

For the men, Clayton Jimmie would end up victorious in the men’s 100m freestyle in a time of 49.93, followed closely by Egypt’s Mohamed Samy who charged just behind in 49.97. The two would represent the only sub-50 second freestylers of the 100m field in Brazzaville.

Fly master Chad Le Clos was at it again for South Africa, taking the men’s 50m butterfly comfortably in his time of 23.51, a new championship record. Le Clos had already easily mastered the 100m butterfly earlier in the meet, clinching the gold in a time of 51.24.

VOA

8 September 2015

Zimbabwe’s swimming sensation, Kirsty Coventry, won gold in the 100 metre backstroke event Tuesday evening in the All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville.

According to former Sport Minister David Coltart’s post on Facebook, the Zimbabwean is set to participate in other swimming events on Thursday and Friday.

This could not be independently confirmed from the Zimbabwean team in Brazzaville.

Coltart wrote on his Facebook wall, “Kirsty Coventry won the 100 metre backstroke Gold this evening in Brazzaville in the All Africa Games. Supersport are showing the swimming finals which start at 6pm Zim time. Kirsty will not be swimming tomorrow but swims again on Thursday and Friday.

“Go Kirsty! Doing us all proud again. What a patriot!”

Coventry has represented Zimbabwe in many international competitions and won several gold medals.

The Standard

September 6 2015

The third term of the school calendar begins this week amid growing uncertainty fuelled by the government’s shadowy audit of the civil service and the deteriorating economy punctuated by massive job losses.

The cash-strapped government is under pressure to reduce its wage bill, which it says accounts for over 80% of its expenditure.

In July, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa announced that Cabinet had approved measures to reduce the wage bill by at least 40%, but the government has not been clear on how it intends to achieve this.

However, the Civil Service Commission has been carrying out a head count of civil servants as a way of weeding out ghost workers.

The audit began in April, and according to reports, 3 000 teachers were struck off the payroll after they were not found at their work stations.

Teachers unions have protested against the measures, saying most of the affected educators were on leave at the time the audit was carried out and have been unnecessarily inconvenienced by the non-payment of salaries.

As if that was not enough, Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora announced last week that the government would lay off at least 20 000 untrained teachers that have held fort at a time Zimbabwe was losing skilled personnel to other countries due to poor salaries.

There is no doubt that the ongoing audit and the uncertainty facing untrained teachers will destabilise the education sector.

Unions have already threatened to call for strikes when schools open in solidarity with unpaid teachers.

That the education sector is backsliding to the chaos of the pre-inclusive government era where teachers embarked on indefinite job boycotts, is no longer debatable.

The effects of that sad chapter were telling in the performance of children in public examinations that followed.

It took the tenacity of former Education minister David Coltart to restore normalcy in the sector and the emerging challenges need someone of his stature to forestall a crisis similar to the 2008 disaster.

Dokora is the man who carries the nation’s hopes on that front, but the minister’s performance since his elevation post -Coltart era has not been inspiring.

It would not be far-fetched to say the minister is responsible for most of the problems facing the education sector and his silence on the disruptive nature of the ongoing audit shows that he is simply out of depth.

Besides the contentious audits, the majority of parents may not be able to pay school fees on time this term because they lost their jobs, or employers cannot pay them on time.

According to reports last week, a survey by the Poverty Reduction Forum showed that 75% of households that were sampled across the country were unable to pay school fees.

The situation is bound to get worse with the accelerated job losses and company closures that are symptomatic of the collapsing economy.

Zimbabweans are sinking deeper and deeper into poverty and this is eroding most of the gains made since independence.

President Robert Mugabe’s government invested heavily on education after independence and one of the reasons that brings hope of a quick economic turnaround is that the country has an abundant human resource base.

The government has an obligation to ensure that the competitive advantage is not lost by stemming the unfolding crisis in the education sector.

An audit of the civil service is necessary because it has been proven that the government’s payroll is littered with ghost workers, but this cannot be at the expense of efficient service delivery.

The audit carried out by Ernst & Young (India) during the inclusive government era revealed that most of these ghost workers were in the Youth and Indigenisation ministry and this is where the government should be focusing on.

Most importantly, more effort should be put into making sure that the economy begins to work again, instead of destabilising the education sector.