New Zimbabwe.Com

By Senior Reporter

24th November 2014

A SENIOR MDC-T member has said the party is contemplating negotiations with the MDC Renewal Team ahead of the 2018 elections.

The official said they have told party leader Morgan Tsvangirai to “swallow his pride” and engage their former colleagues who broke away in April this year.

Former secretary general Tendai Biti walked out of the MDC-T party in protest over what he alleged were Tsvangirai’s dictatorial tendencies.

The MDC-T official who requested anonymity said Tsvangirai was planning to approach the Biti and Welshman Ncube-led entities for negotiations aimed at the reunification of the party.

“What he needs, at least, if he fails to lure Biti, is to get the Renewal Team’s endorsement, but we, at most ,need all the former MDC members to re-join the party and this is the path we are on,” said the official.

“The truth of the matter is that without unity we will not dislodge Zanu PF (from power) and history has taught us that.”

The official said they told Tsvangirai that he needed to “swallow his pride” and “come to terms with our colleagues” in the breakaway factions.

“Yes, we might have our differences but we told the President that we need to compromise,” he said.

“As I am telling you, at the weekend, the president talked to David Coltart and they discussed some of these issues.

“I cannot divulge what was agreed as the way forward because we might compromise the negotiations which are in the infancy stage.”

Contacted for comment, Jacob Mafume, the MDC Renewal Team spokesperson said: “There are a number of housekeeping issues that the MDC-T needs to address before they start any conversation.

“One of these issues regards the centralisation of power in one person. They need to start the conversation among themselves and see the trajectory on which they are going.

“If the old Tsvangirai, who was no stranger to democracy, resurrects we find no problems dealing with him, not the current Tsvangirai who is a copycat of Mugabe.”

The Zimbabwe Independent

By Wongai Zhangazha

21st November 2014

AS if the deteriorating Zimbabwean education system did not have enough problems, the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) is fast becoming a serious liability to the credibility of primary and secondary school exams as it lurches from one exam scandal to the next, year in year out.

The whiff of an exam leakage is never far during the exam season and to that you can add tender irregularities and students being awarded marks for examinations they never sat for, among other bungles. One thing appears clear; little or no lessons have been learnt from previous botched exams.

The latest scandal to hit Zimsec and get just about everyone who has an opinion talking — as has become tradition — is the leakage of the ‘O’ Level English Language Papers 1 and 2 and Mathematics Papers 1 and 2 at Whata Secondary School in Lower Gweru.

Six school officials in the headmaster entrusted with the exam papers, four teachers and a cook have since been arrested for the embarrassing leak.

Last week, students at privately-owned Fountain College and two men from Chitungwiza were sentenced to six-months in jail each by Chitungwiza Magistrate Donald Ndirowei after they were convicted for leaking this year’s ‘O’ level Commerce and Science papers. Maybe as an indication of the low esteem he holds the Zimsec exams — or is it desperation — the student flogged the leaked papers for only US$2 each.

Much to the dismay of those pupils who thought the subjects were over and done with, Zimsec had a surprise in store: It announced last week that ‘O’ Level English papers 1 and 2, and Mathematics papers 1 and 2 would be re-written from November 24 to November 27. The news must have been greeted with a despairing shaking of the head by many a pupil.

The re-set exams will certainly not come cheap for the exams department reeling from perennial under-funding as the re-sit would cost Zimsec over a million dollars, further depleting its meagre coffers.

Firefighting, Education minister Lazarus Dokora recently said to reduce chances of examination paper leakages, exam papers will now be under the custody of examination officers that Zimsec will appoint and deploy at each school.

Many are only likely to believe this measure will work if next year’s exams are scandal-free.

“We shall appoint examination officers at each school in every province to avoid leaking of examination papers and supervision should be done extensively in the ministry,” Dokora said.
“Lack of supervision in the school and at provincial levels has caused breach of security by allowing leakage of examination; therefore, no headmaster will be responsible for any examination material henceforth.”

The broke Zimsec will need a new budget for Education for the recruitment of exam officers.

But former Education minister David Coltart told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that the appointment of examination officers would only help if it ensures that there are no remaining “split responsibilities”.

“I also think that Zimsec needs to move towards more stringent standards being applied before ‘examination centre status’ is conferred on a school. For example, schools which write Cambridge examinations have to earn the right to become examination centres — it is not automatic and if a school breaches their protocols Cambridge are quick to remove that status,” said Coltart.

“The same needs to happen with Zimsec — it is far too easy for a school to become an examination centre. While of course the ideal is that every high school in Zimbabwe should be an examination centre that has in some cases led to a slack attitude regarding Zimsec protocols. So in short, we need the combination of both examination officers being appointed and tighter controls over conferring examination centre status to schools.”

Last year, Geography Paper 2 and Integrated Science papers were leaked, again in the Midlands Province, leading to their costly cancellation.

In 2012, at least 13 ‘O’ Level examinations had to be reset at a cost of US$850 000 after a headmaster lost the exam papers while travelling by public transport from Bulawayo to his rural school.

The papers, English Language (Paper 1 and 2), Mathematics non-calculator version (Paper 1 and 2), Geography (Paper 1 and 2), Integrated Science (Paper 1, 2 and 3), Commerce (Paper 1 and 2) and Ndebele (Paper 1 and 2) were allegedly lost at Renkini Long Distance Bus Terminus in Bulawayo.

The question worried parents, teachers, pupils and other stakeholders want answered is why is Zimsec perennially embroiled in such scandals that have a devastating consequences for education in Zimbabwe? Some say Zimsec needs an urgent overhaul while others are calling for heads to roll there.

The only time a government official took responsibility for exam leakages was in 1996 when then Education minister, the late Edmund Garwe, resigned from his post after his daughter was found in possession of junior examination papers before they had been written.

As a result of questions over the integrity of the country’s examination some parents would rather fork out hundreds of dollars for the more costly Cambridge international examinations.
Social commentator Stanley Tinarwo said the leakages are symptomatic of the rot at Zimsec.

“This is not the first time we are witnessing such serious leakages. This is just a sign of the total collapse of the whole education sector. Some of the people on the Zimsec board are the same culprits who are giving PhDs to undeserving recipients. The system needs to be totally revamped to restore confidence in our education sector.”

Professor Levi Nyagura is Zimsec board chairperson. Nyagura, also University of Zimbabwe Vice-Chancellor, is currently under fire after he was blamed for the UZ’s awarding of President Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace with a fraudulent PhD in sociology.

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) party in a statement said it was alarmed by the decision taken by Zimsec to nullify the 2014 ‘O’ Level English and Mathematics examinations and order a re-write. It demanded that Dokora must resign.

“The decision by Zimsec is both irresponsible and grossly irrational. It subjects innocent pupils to unbearable pain and suffering. It is unnecessary as it does not contribute to stamping out corruption at Zimsec,” the statement said.

“The Zimsec approach is draconian and does not take into account the fundamental rights of the children concerned.

However, these are not the only problems bedevilling Zimsec — far from it. In June, two students who registered as private candidates had to travel 100km from Bikita to Masvingo to write the June 2014 Biology Paper 2 at night because Zimsec had failed to deliver question papers to their centres on time.

There have also been instances of serious mix-ups in the issuing of results with some candidates getting grades in subjects they did not sit for whilst others failed to get marks for subjects they had written.

Early this year, Zimsec was accused of failing to print Grade Seven certificates for the past four years, but the examination body blamed this on government saying it has not received the US$3,15 million it is owed.

Zimsec claims inadequate funding by government has caused inefficiencies.

Comptroller auditor- general Mildred ChiriH has found Zimsec liable for irregularities, flouting tender procedures and paying service providers US$1,8 million without proper invoicing while overpaying some suppliers and buying a Nissan UD truck for an inflated US$149 000.

Daily News

By Lloyd Mbiba

20th November 2014

First Lady Grace Mugabe has accentuated fears that President Robert Mugabe’s government was illegally spying on certain politicians, the media and other citizens.

This comes after the 49-year-old businesswoman has claimed — for two consecutive days — that she had “electronic evidence” of Vice President Joice Mujuru making disparaging remarks about her and the nonagenarian.

While the Zanu PF Women’s League-designate boss has said this in her increasingly personal attacks on Mujuru, analysts contacted by the Daily News slammed the practice, which they say was now liable to abuse.

“I trapped Mujuru and I now have a recording of her… speaking ill of me, and the president. I told people that l do not believe in gossip and those who want to report about Mujuru… should bring a video.

“I tell you, l once saw a recording where she was inappropriately dressed in a miniskirt and talking to someone,” Grace told a gathering of students in Mazowe this week, adding “we are tired of this stupidity” and the beleaguered VP must go.

But the unsolicited remarks — that private communications and other social activities could be under the radar — have drawn sharp criticism, and fire from human rights defenders and other citizens.

David Coltart, an ex-Cabinet minister and human rights lawyer, said the alleged snooping — on phones and other activities — was illegal, and a clear violation of the law.

“Just because you hate someone does not give you a right to spy on their private communication or video record them,” Coltart said.

“It’s a total violation of section 57 of the Constitution.

“There are no grounds whatsoever to interfere with one’s communication unless you are given a court order,” he said, adding he has always suspected that his mobile phone and other means of communication had been compromised by state security agents.

“I have always assumed for the last 30 years that my communication was intercepted and interfered with. But unfortunately, that has become part and parcel of Zimbabwe.

“The new Constitution makes it all illegal.”

Dewa Mavhinga, a human rights activist, said that security agencies have always spied on those suspected of being against the establishment.

“This confirms what we have been saying, that state security agents are snooping on citizens’ communication,” he said.

“It is the same way that the state apparatus were used to snoop on opposition parties.

‘You do remember the (Morgan) Tsvangirai scandal and treason charges.

“It is now clear that people in Zanu PF who kept quiet when state security agents spied on opposition and human rights defenders are the ones who are now on the receiving end. Otherwise there is nothing new. We need to separate the state from Zanu PF. The conflation of these institutions is the reason behind the abuse of security agents.”

On the other hand, former deputy Information minister Jameson Timba said the undemocratic actions also reminded him of the old Russia.

“It is despicable and done only during yesteryears of rogue regimes like the Soviet Union or their contemporary African tinpot dictators who are afraid of their own shadows,” the Movement for Democratic Change international relations head honcho said.

“A government cannot behave like a high school peeping Tom who peeps into people’s bedrooms and listens to their pillow talk,” Timba added.

Nhlanhla Ngwenya, a media analyst, said the unfortunate — if not deadly — side of these unwarranted actions was that they were not being done for the public good or security.

“It’s clear this wiretapping was not for the public good, but personal interest. This whole saga comes… when the democratic world is strongly pushing for strong safeguards for individual privacy and is frowning upon surveillance as a gross violation of individuals’ rights,” he said.

“This revelation thus should galvanise and mobilise Zimbabweans to demand adequate protection of their basic liberties,” Ngwenya added.

Apart from Mujuru, former spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa were allegedly caught — under what many believe to be intelligence stings — on tape discussing about the overthrow of Mugabe.

While the ex-Dare Rechimurenga stalwart was reportedly caught saying that the nonagenarian “will be shot”, Mutasa allegedly told one of his “concubines” if the Zanu PF leader does not accede to Mujuru’s ascendancy, then he will be eliminated — in what many believe was a honey trap.

Last month, the Herald also reported that deputy Health minister Paul Chimedza had reportedly called a relative of Constantine Chiwenga to say Grace had said the Defence Forces commander was a Rhodesian-era spy, specifically in the 1970s.

The Zimbabwe Mail

By Rex Mphisa

19th November 2014

Former minister of Education, Sports and Culture David Coltart has said the Zimbabwe Examinations Council (Zimsec) must find ways of plugging all examination leakages that are threatening to erode the country’s high quality education.

Coltart said the huge costs incurred while rectifying leakages through re-setting and re-sitting of examinations could be channeled towards fortification of the same, which have become perennial and were in bad taste.

In an interview with The Zimbabwe Mail on Monday, Coltart, who was recently commended by President Robert Mugabe for successfully lobbying for Zimbabwe to host the African Union Sports Council Region Five Youth Games which fell under his ministry in the unity government, said Zimsec’s examination standards were “excellent” but that the perennial leakages threatened their dignity.

“The integrity of the examinations, which I must say is high even compared to the Cambridge University O’ Level, is under threat from these leakages and there must be a rigid approach by Zimsec to guard against this,” he said.

About 200 000 Form Four students throughout the country are required to re-sit four examination papers following an alleged leak which occurred at one school in the Midlands Province.

Such leakages have also been reported in the past, including an infamous incident in which a drunk teacher forgot examination papers in a commuter omnibus in Bulawayo. Although some political parties have blamed Zimsec for the leakages, Coltart said most leakages have been traced to schools rather than to the examination body.

“Most leakages have been traced to schools and Zimsec should be strict and even withdraw examination centre statuses to schools that have leaked,” he said. Such deterrent measures would ensure leakages were plugged, he added.

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) led by Lovemore Madhuku recently accused Zimsec of being irresponsible and urged parents to take the body to court for unilaterally deciding that papers that leaked in the Midlands be re-written countrywide.

NCA said the decision to have candidates re-sit would not “contribute to stamping out corruption at Zimsec.”

The opposition party said in its view that such a drastic decision should only have been taken with respect to the “affected centres”.

Coltart said Zimsec should be strict in the awarding and withdrawal of examination centre statuses to offending schools. It could also invest more into the security of the papers which he said leaked at school level than at the setting centres.

“So far examinations have been leaking at the school rather that at Zimsec and there is need to be rigid in awarding and withdrawing examination centre statuses to schools where examinations have leaked,” he said.

He said Zimsec should, like Cambridge, embark on thorough inspection of examination centres before awarding them the status to be able to hold examinations.

“It is a good intention that Zimsec tries to avail itself to the larger part of the country but that is also difficult to monitor; leaked examinations cost more to rectify,” he said.

Coltart said disciplinary action, including withdrawal of exam centre statuses, would be deterrent enough to guard against leakages.

http://www.sundayworld.co.za/

SAPA

18th November 2014

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace launched a fresh and bitter attack on Vice President Joice Mujuru, calling on her to resign immediately and accusing her of “inappropriate” dressing.

In a speech to thousands of students gathered at the Zimbabwean first family’s farm in central Mazowe district, Grace Mugabe boasted that she had “trapped” the vice president.

She said she had a videotape of Mujuru accusing her of persuading the long-time president to stay on in power just so that the family could enrich themselves.

Just four months ago, Grace Mugabe, 49, played no part in Zimbabwean politics apart from appearing at her husband’s side during rallies and political functions.

But in July she was nominated to lead Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party’s powerful women’s league – and since then she has spearheaded an increasingly vitriolic campaign against Mujuru in an apparent bid to force her out of the party ahead of or during a congress next month.

Said Grace Mugabe on Monday in a speech shown on state ZBC TV: “You will be shocked to find that this is a person we called vice president for 10 years. You will be shocked. She must resign forthwith.”

Mujuru’s 10 years as vice president were “a waste of time”, the First Lady said as she paced up and down in front of cheering crowds.

“And you know what? I trapped her. Let me tell you I trapped her. There is more to come,” Grace Mugabe said in an apparent reference to the secret recordings she allegedly has of Mujuru.

The battle between Grace – who is apparently part of a faction of the ruling party led by top official Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mujuru’s arch-rival – and Mujuru has dominated Zimbabwe’s news for the last two months.

At the weekend state media accused Mujuru of being part of a plot to assassinate president Mugabe, accusations the vice president has angrily refuted.

Grace has not denied harbouring presidential ambitions herself, though it still appears unlikely she would take over immediately after her husband leaves power.

The president’s wife accused Mujuru on Monday of wearing a mini-skirt, adding: “Let me tell you, she was inappropriately dressed.”

Former education minister David Coltart said in a tweet: “Quite remarkable things said this evening on ZBC by Grace Mugabe regarding Vice President Joice Mujuru.- this really has got nasty now.”

The Zimbabwean

18th November 2014

The public has expressed mixed reactions to the leaked Zimbabwe Examinations Council’s Ordinary Level papers.

Some say Zimbabwe should abolish ZIMSEC and revert to Cambridge Examinations while others maintain that the locally managed examinations should be given time to establish themselves.

Of late government has announced that ‘O’ Level English and Mathematics papers had leaked and would be re-written before end of the year.

Former Minister of Education, David Coltart, noted that it was not the first time the papers had leaked and the problem was not with ZIMSEC, but school authorities who lacked discipline.

Coltart warned the nation against sensationalising the issue since ZIMSEC was trying to expand the examinations throughout the country at an affordable fee.

“The solution would be to avoid granting every school the examination centre status without meeting expected standards. Some schools have slack measures for the safe keep of examination papers leading to the leakages,” Coltart said, pointing out that the selective granting of examination status to schools should not make life difficult for rural children.

According to Coltart, he remembers an incident which involved a junior teacher ferrying examination papers by public transport and eventually losing them.

Never Kamba, an Epworth resident and businessperson, blamed poor teachers’ remuneration for the leakages.

“The leakages are partly caused by the poor earnings of teachers who set the papers and later distribute them to schools.

“I think if the country could revert to Cambridge Examination set abroad security would be tightened around the exams,” said Kamba, suggesting that the examination papers would start leaking from the institutions where they are set.

Nomore Kapini of Sunningdale had no kind words for ZIMZEC and urged government to make Cambridge Examinations compulsory without further delays.

According to Kapini, ZIMSEC had lost its integrity and it was time it adopted Cambridge without negotiations.

Kapini said: “ZIMSEC has failed to maintain security around the papers for years now. The only option on the table is to revert to Cambridge before the remains of the examination are wiped off.”

Anyway Tafireyi, a Marondera resident suggested that the examination papers be delivered to centres on the day of the sittings, or otherwise Cambridge would be the best way to go.

“If there is no fastest possible means to deliver the papers last day to schools, then external examinations like Cambridge would be the only option.

“The fact that locally set examinations would find their way to candidates through people who set them, complicates the whole issue,” Tafireyi said, suggesting that it would better if the examinations are set by outsiders from outside the country.

As a precautionary measure, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Lazarus Dokora, said the replacement Ordinary Level English and Mathematics papers would be ferried to schools by ZIMSEC officers.

Following the leakages, Ordinary Level English paper 1 and 2 and Mathematics paper 1 and 2 will be written from November 24 to November 27.

The original papers leaked at Whato Secondary School in Gweru. Some members of staff connived to sale the papers to candidates and arrests have since been made.

New Zimbabwe.Com

By Staff Reporter

17th November 2014

THE First Family is now playing dirty in its fight against a coup plot by vice president Joice Mujuru, allegations the latter vehemently rejected in a statement Monday which effectively dared President Robert Mugabe to sack her.

The Mugabes claim that Mujuru, impatient to take over as president and frustrated by the 90-year-old incumbent’s refusal to step down, has been working on a plot to topple the veteran leader at Zanu PF’s congress next month.

To thwart the alleged plot, a vicious campaign has since been launched to scandalise Mujuru and First Lady Grace Mugabe has led the charge, accusing the vice president of grand corruption, incompetence and treason.

Top Zanu PF officials thought to have been backing Mujuru to eventually take over from Mugabe have either been suspended from their positions or expelled as in the case of Jabulani Sibanda who was also removed as war veterans leader.

Others have been forced to switch sides through “persuasion, intimidation and threats”.

And on Monday Grace showed that the First Family was even engaging in the stuff of espionage fiction in its desperate bid to retain power.

Addressing supporters at her Mazowe compound, Grace claimed to have successfully set up a trap for Mujuru, adding the VP tried to seduce her spy.

“I set up Mujuru and I now have recording of her in a mini-skirt, speaking ill of me and the president … ngaaende izvozvo,” she said.

“I set a trap … told someone closer to her to record her, she was recorded while she was wearing a mini-skirt, I don’t know whether she wanted to lure this person or not because the way she was dressing it’s embarrassing for a person of a vice president.

“Do you know what she was saying in that video? She was saying why is Grace not telling her husband to step down?”

Grace did not say where the recording was made but the vice president could not have been at her offices if she was inappropriately dressed as the First Lady claimed.

In a post on his Facebook wall Monday night, opposition politician and former education minister, David Coltart, said Grace had crossed the line.

Wrote Coltart: “In view of the quite remarkable things said on ZBC this (Monday) evening by Grace Mugabe about Vice President Joice Mujuru, in particular about video recordings of Mujuru in her home, it is pertinent to recall the provisions of Section 57 of the Zimbabwe Constitution which state:

“Every person has the right to privacy, which includes the right not to have:

a) their home entered without their permission;
d) the privacy of their communications infringed.”

“Section 51 is also relevant – the right to human dignity which states “Every person has inherent dignity in their private and public life, and the right to have that dignity respected and protected.”

He added: “An unacceptable line has been crossed this evening.”

Grace however, said she had more such recordings and threatened to make them public if Mujuru does not heed her demands that she quits office.

“This is nothing, there is more to come,” said the First Lady. “She (Mujuru) must just go than to be fired.”

A defiant Mujuru issued a defiant statement Monday saying she would not resign and effectively challenging Mugabe to fire her.

“I am an elected servant of the people of Zimbabwe …” said Mujuru.

“I deny any and all the allegations of treason, corruption, incompetence, and misuse of public office being routinely made against me in The Herald and Sunday Mail Newspapers.

“I have briefed my legal practitioners to take the necessary steps, at law, to restore my good reputation, political standing and dignity. I stand ready to defend myself before the Party, and in any court of law on any of the allegations made against me, at any time, in accordance with the laws of Zimbabwe.

“To you my fellow citizens I say, that I, Joice Teurai Ropa Mujuru, am here to serve the people of Zimbabwe, and the party Zanu PF, that I have always been a member of.

“No amount of malicious, hurtful and false statements about me, my late husband, my family, children, associates or business interests (real or imagined) can deter me from the mission at hand.”

New Zimbabwe.Com

By Kurauone Chihwayi

3rd November 2014

THE reported reunification moves by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and Renewal is a giant step towards the creation of a democratic, peaceful, tolerant, respectful and honey dripping Zimbabwe. The merger of pro-democracy forces for a common agenda is a response to the many deafening calls by many friends and progressive citizens.

The MDC formations are simply taking instructions from those many calls by the people of Zimbabwe on the need to collectively tackle the Zimbabwean political crisis. This, in my personal view, is a revisit to the mandate that we got from the people of Zimbabwe fifteen years ago. Zimbabwean problems can only be solved by Zimbabweans in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe will never be the same again and the perpetrators of our suffering will soon be part of history. It is good that we finally found each other after years of chasing a wild goose and learning. Zimbabweans should understand that we are in this game for the love and sympathy of the strangled nation. The greedy and selfish ones will be seen here and there and some of them are known even today. There is nothing as unique as finding and forgiving each other. There is nothing as unique as a collective confrontation of the country’s political crisis.

The unity talks taking place between MDC Renewal and the MDC present an opportunity for the ill-informed and misled citizens to understand some characters like Professor Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti, Elton Mangoma, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, Sekai Holland, Goodrich Chimbaira, Edwin Mushoriwa, Frank Chamunorwa, David Coltart and Gorden Moyo. All these people are not in politics for a living but for the genuine love of their country; a country trashed and reduced to a shell.

The dumping of Morgan Tsvangirai at different stages by the like-minded democrats was met with mixed reactions by the blunt and politically blind former colleagues in the opposition league. Tsvangirai’s poor leadership qualities drove people away from him and only those too desperate for water can continue to squeeze the rocks for miracle drops. A return to Tsvangirai is as bad as eating your own vomit.

MDC President, Professor Welshman Ncube, is one cadre who does not have problems with team work and tolerance level adjustment, a seasoned leader who can accept the strength and weaknesses of fellow team members. I worked under him and my job has never been difficult especially when I wanted advice and leadership. He is a quick thinker and eloquent public speaker with the capacity to work with anyone, anywhere.

Tendai Biti is one principled and courageous fellow with useful arrogance that has kept Robert Mugabe on his toes. He is in the same class with veteran activist Munyaradzi Gwisai in terms of attacking strategies. And we have no reason to doubt the capacity and wisdom in Samuel Sipepa Nkomo who comes from the nationalist league with the likes of Petros Mukwena, Jefret Khumalo, Jacob Moyo and Esaph Mdlongwa.

The two political parties are made up of cadres who have seen it all, people who share the same dream and the same vision. My personal dream is to see a liberated Zimbabwe for our young and abused generation. At our first meeting as pro-democracy forces I saw the usual enthusiastic, vibrant, determined and courageous fighters with the much-needed desire and steam to take Zimbabwe forward.

We have started a journey, dear comrades, that will lead us to the promised land; a journey that will leave most of us brutalized by the crippling regime. We have learnt many lessons from many situations since 1999 and those should not be repeated again. Zimbabwe has reached a turning point and a new political order is beckoning. Mugabe is now embroiled in confusion, a situation that has seen him confessing his allegiance to a faction of internal political vultures; getting lost to the extent of believing nonsense from only four liberation war turncoats.

The Zanu PF leader has been blinded not to see or know reality, losing focus because of a bedroom Judas kiss by the game spoiler. All Zanu PF supporters and war veterans are being forced to butt kiss the executive secretary-cum First Lady. War veterans are not expected to be partisan; after all they made a stupid decision to link themselves to the rotten Zanu PF party. If Jabulani Sibanda was elected by a properly constituted congress he cannot be removed by a few documented power hungry war veterans, most of them with questionable liberation war credentials.

These are all signs and symptoms of a crumbling and clueless regime known for nothing other than criminal activities and the merciless slaughtering of innocent citizens. A reorganized opposition has a big task to reconstruct and mend a fractured and looted country. Zimbabweans will obviously see the quick opening of dormant industries and a functional government with people centred policies.

The honest engagement by the two MDC formations should be embraced since it is a beginning of a fruitful journey to Zion. Zimbabwe will never be a Sodom and Gomorrah or a Babylon again. The reported merging of the two mdc formations will certainly restore hope and confidence in many hopeless and impoverished citizens.

The Zimbabwean

22nd October 2014

MDC Senator and former Minister of Education, David Coltart, spoke in London earlier this month at an event in support of the Budiriro Trust, a small charity which has been providing educational bursaries to Zimbabwean A level students since 1967. The Zimbabwean education system has everything going for it – except money – and for this simple reason it is on the verge of collapse leaving the country at risk of being “colonised” once again by foreigners, he said.

“President Mugabe says that we will never be a colony again, but I think that we are in very real danger of being a colony, simply because of the catastrophic loss of skills from our country,” he told the audience at an event organised by the Budiriro Trust”We simply don’t have the skills to carry out projects and so rely on outsiders to do what we should be doing ourselves.

“This is such a tragedy when we have so much going for us. When I was minister I would do spot checks and travel out to a rural school with no warning. In the vast majority of cases – the vast majority – I would find the teachers there really engaging with their students, who often had no desks and were sat on a pot-holed floor.

“We have a real passion for education in our country. Representatives from both The World Bank and UNICEF have said to me ‘you have a fantastic spirit’ in Zimbabwe; when Deans of South African universities speak to me they say they are ‘enthralled’ by the graduates from our schools.”

But enthusiasm by itself is not enough and the system has been in such steep decline for the last two decades that it is now failing hundreds of thousands of children every year – and it’s getting worse, fast.
In 2012 there were 300,000 Zimbabwean children who qualified for special educational aid but were not getting it, according to Mr Coltart.

By the end of 2014 he estimates up to 1 million children could be affected in this way.

In addition, the status and pay of teachers has fallen, driving many out of the profession, the curriculum is badly out-of-date and schools across the country are crumbling for lack of maintenance.
“We all know that the future of every country in the world depends on its education system,” he says. “If an education system collapses, it doesn’t matter how many gold or platinum mines we have, we are doomed. It’s that simple.”

At the root of the crisis is a lack of funding. Although education is the largest item in the Zimbabwean budget, Mr Coltart believes the amount allocated is purely “theoretical”.
“In my last month as minister of education, in June 2013, we were running 8000 schools, 73 administrative districts, an 18-story headquarter building in Harare, with all the vehicle bills and lighting bills and other bills associated with this. To cover it all I was allocated just $20,000.

“The official budgetary amount was $3 million, but we actually received just $20,000. “Until this changes, the decline will continue. We need political will, not just in Zanu PF, but among parents, who need to dig deeper. Until this happens, the outlook is very gloomy.

“The question for government, parents and individuals is: what is our priority? Is it big Government? Is it 39 cabinet ministers with their Mercedes Benz? A large defence force that we don’t need? Or is it the education of our children?

“I’m not convinced that any of the political parties have got that yet. But the same question applies to the diaspora: are we going to spend that extra pound on a beer, or a sim card? Or are we going to invest it in our children? “I’m often amazed by the foolishness– and I know that’s a strong word – but I am amazed by the foolishness of people who can’t find $5 for their children’s education and yet they go to the pub and spend that money easily.”

Praising the work of the Budiriro Trust, Mr Coltart called on everyone to do all they could to fight for the future of the Zimbabwean education system: “Organisations like the Budiriro Trust play a critical role in identifying children with potential at O-Level and ensuring that they go on to A-level. “They will be the wealth creators of the future. You have to identify the talent and transform it; give them skills, and vision.

“Please, do what you can to support this wonderful organisation, which is run entirely by volunteers. “Imagine if all the thousands of expat Zimbabweans could give them £1 a month? Imagine what they could do? How many children they could help?” “I would ask you all to educate other Zimbabweans about the existence of the Budiriro Trust and the situation in Zimbabwe.

“Zimbabwe is a great land of opportunity for international companies to come and take our gold and platinum with very little long-term gain for us, and there is no attempt to raise local skills. This has to change.
“My time as minister gave me a completely new understanding about how important education is. “I have been left with an overriding feeling that a wonderful education system is vital to any country, but especially a developing country.

“Our future depends on realising the potential of our young people. We owe it to them to give them teachers to teach them and schools for them to learn in.”

Information on the Budiriro Trust and ways of making donations can be found on their website: http://www.budirirotrust.org/