David Coltart Blog – Ministry of Information appears determined to violate Zimbabwe’s Constitution

By David Coltart

25 October 2013

The Herald this morning has a headline “Government to quash pirate radio stations”. It quotes the Deputy Minister of Information Supa Mandiwanzira who in responding to a question from Mashonaland Central Senator Alice Chimbudzi (Zanu-PF) on what Government was doing to deal with private radio stations apparently said:

“The Ministry considers these pirate radio stations as a nuisance that we must get rid of. In the majority of cases the Zimbabweans who listen to these pirate radio stations do so out of desperation because they are unable to get a signal of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation in the area they stay. So they have no choice and end up, by default, listening to these pirate radio stations.”

If the Deputy Minister has been correctly quoted it means that there is now a policy to get “rid of” pirate radio stations because they are a “nuisance”. In the same report the Deputy Minister re-affirmed the requirement by broadcasting stations to play 75 percent local content.

If this is all correctly reported the result is that the Ministry is now pursuing policies which are flagrantly in breach of several different clauses of our new Constitution.

Firstly, Section 61(3) makes it clear that Broadcasting and other electronic media of communication have “freedom of establishment” which is only subject to technical requirements “necessary to regulate airwaves”. The same clause makes it clear that the State licencing procedures must be independent of government or political control. In other words the Ministry has no power in terms of the Constitution to bar a particular radio or TV station simply because it is “a nuisance”. So long as the station does not incite violence, use hate speech, maliciously injure a person’s reputation or maliciously breach a person’s right to privacy they have virtually absolute rights to broadcast. That includes broadcasting views which do not necessarily agree with the strict Zanu PF party line.

Accordingly Deputy Minister Mandiwanzira is himself in breach of the Constitution by stating that these stations must be “got rid of”. The way to deal with these so called pirate stations is to allow them to broadcast from within Zimbabwe. They will then be subject to our own laws and if they broadcast hate speech or other material outlawed by our Constitution then they can be made subject to our own laws and legal system. I frequently listen to SW Radio Africa and Studio 7 and I have never heard material broadcast which is unlawful. They spend a lot of time in fact exposing corruption and other breaches of law which the ZBC simply ignores.

Secondly, Deputy Minister Mandiwanzira is wrong in thinking that by simply extending the signal of the ZBC to all areas that will stop Zimbabweans from listening to SW Radio Africa and Studio 7. People listen to these stations because ironically they provide the independence and alternative view that the ZBC should provide but does not. This in turn is the second serious and ongoing breach of the Constitution which the Ministry of Information fosters. Section 61(4) states that “all Sate owned media must…be free to determine independently the editorial content of their broadcast …be impartial…and afford a fair opportunity for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting opinions”. This clearly and blatantly the ZBC does not do and has never done since the Rhodesian Front first got hold of the RBC in 1962. The ZBC is simply a mouthpiece for Zanu PF as the RBC was for the Rhodesian Front before it.

Thirdly, whilst I fully understand and support the need to promote local artists, that can be done in other ways which do not violate the Constitution as the 75% local contents rule does. Sections 61(2), 62(2) and 63 when read together give every Zimbabwean citizen the rights and freedoms to seek, receive and communicate information of their choice, which includes artistic freedom and the right (in Section 63) to “participate in the cultural life of their choice”. This means that if someone wants to establish a radio station which solely plays classical, religious or Motown music that is their choice, which cannot be infringed upon. Likewise because of the provisions of Section 61(4) (ie the right of independent editorial content) the Ministry cannot dictate to the ZBC what its editorial content, including the music it plays, should be. Of course the Ministry can encourage the ZBC to play local music and can do a range of other things to boost local artists but any Dictat is unconstitutional.

My good friend Trevor Ncube recently spoke about the encouraging meeting he had with Minister Jonathan Moyo and Deputy Minister Supa Mandiwanzira regarding the print media. I was pleased to read that that meeting went well but at the time he commented I wondered whether the same degree of tolerance would be displayed towards the electronic media by these two gentlemen. I have always thought that it serves Zanu PF to allow newspapers to operate. They provide a wonderful facade of liberty without really challenging the core of Zanu PF’s support base. The reality is that most newspapers do not get to the majority of the rural population – they are too expensive and distribution is difficult. Electronic media is the key because it reaches every household for free in the most remote areas. The last 5 years have shown that Zanu PF have not been prepared to release their tight control over the electronic media. The licences given to Star FM and ZiFM are part of the facade – Star FM is owned and controlled by the Herald, which slavishly follows the Zanu PF party line and ZiFm, well, is owned by the Deputy Minister Supa Mandiwanzira himself so there is no doubt where its allegiances lie. So there is not a single independent broadcasting house in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe in this regard stands out as the glaring exception in the region. Every single one of our neighbours allows genuinely independent radios to operate and South Africa allows genuinely independent TV stations to operate. Zanu PF describes itself as the “revolutionary party” and keeps going on about its “resounding victory”. if it is so confident of its support then one would expect it to be confident about opening up our airwaves to all Zimbabweans. This statement made in Parliament reveals that they are not that confident and appear to be determined to violate fundamental rights contained in our Constitution. For as long as they purse this Zimbabweans will not be free and the long cold night of Rhodesian Front style authoritarianism will continue.

http://www.herald.co.zw/govt-to-quash-pirate-radio-stations/

SW Radio Africa

By Alex Bell

22 October 2013

Scores of Zimbabweans, whose citizenship is meant to be recognised and guaranteed by the new constitution, have been denied documentation in recent weeks, with a lack of clarity on the laws causing chaos.

It was hoped that with the creation and gazetting of a new constitution, the confusion over who is entitled to citizenship would finally be clarified.

According to that new charter there are three types of recognised citizenship including citizenship by birth and by descent. The law states that if you were born in Zimbabwe and your mother or your father was a Zimbabwean citizen, you are a citizen by birth. The same applies if you were born in Zimbabwe and neither of your parents was a Zimbabwean citizen, but any of your grandparents was a citizen by birth or descent.

You’re also considered a citizen by birth if you were born outside Zimbabwe but either your mother or your father was a Zimbabwe citizen who normally lived in Zimbabwe or was working for the Government or an international organisation. If not, and your parent or grandparent was a Zimbabwe citizen by birth or descent, then you are a citizen by descent.

But despite these clear laws, people are still being turned away if neither of their parents are Zimbabwean citizens.

This includes the daughter of Simon Spooner, the former MDC security adviser and campaign manager for Senator David Coltart. Spooner‘s daughter Kylie, has been unable to secure a new passport, despite being a citizen by birth and a former passport holder. Her mother is a Zimbabwean citizen by birth, while her father was born in Kenya, but also holds Zimbabwean citizenship.

Spooner told SW Radio Africa that his daughter was assured by Registrar authorities in Harare that she could apply for passport renewal, despite suggestions that this would not be possible “because the statutory instrument governing the new status for citizenship had not been gazetted.” The provincial registrar in Bulawayo also supported the position stated in Harare, saying only that she need a certificate of citizenship to secure her new passport.

However last week when she went to the citizenship office for this certificate, she and a number of other Zimbabweans seeking documentation were turned away by an official.

“The officer there simply said there is no statutory instrument and therefore the constitution is not binding. Further to that he indicated that anybody of that status could not apply for passports, that the whole matter had been frozen since June, So that effectively denies hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans, if not more, access to travel documents,” Spooner explained.

Spooner’s daughter was also told that because she obtained citizenship as a minor, “it no longer applies as you are now over 18.”

“What once senses is a deliberate obstruction and the manner in which people are being treated in this regard is very unpleasant,” Spooner said.

Calling it a “denial of people’s rights,” Spooner is now preparing to take the matter to court, saying: “Legal precedent is critical and a judgment needs to be delivered in a case like this.”

Andrew Makoni, the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said the constitution is clear, and by now, citizens recognised according to the charter should be allowed access to their documents. He explained that a clear precedent was set by South African based businessman Mutumwa Mawere, who secured his Zimbabwean citizenship and documentation after a court challenge.

“Mutumwa Mawere went to the Constitutional Court to assert his right as a citizen of Zimbabwe by birth, notwithstanding his citizenship in South Africa by naturalisation,” Makoni explained, saying that this clearly asserted the authority of the constitutional rules.

He meanwhile said that argument given to the Spooners about a lack of a ‘statutory instrument’ is a “lame excuse.” He said the only challenge is a failure by Parliament to enact a Citizenship and Immigration Board, which according to the constitution, should be set up to deal with citizenship issues.

“The board is not yet constituted, so that is a challenge… but the courts are there to ensure that those people being denied the rights to citizenship and to their documents can approach the courts for relief,” Makoni said.

Efforts to get comment from the office of the Registrar General were fruitless on Tuesday.

Zim Eye

By Walter Sebele

22 October 2013

Parents at Cyrene high school have threatened to take drastic measures against the headmaster of the school amid revelations that he sent packing all O’and A’ level candidates owing the institution.

In an interview with this publication, disgruntled parents who were baying for the headmasters blood revealed with disgust how the institution had expelled only students who are sitting for their examinations on Friday saying the move was an ill-timed one that would however come back to haunt not only the expelled students but also the calibre and degree of the pass rate for the entire Matabeleland region.

“Surely we wonder how they think we would be able to raise all that money at once. It is not that we do not want to pay but all we are saying is that we agreed with the institution that we pay the fees in installments at the beginning of the term as we were in shock to realise that our children who are supposed to be putting final touches to their revision for the examinations arrived at home yesterday (Monday) after being sent to collect the fees,” said a concerned parent.

“This is not fair, my child owes $50 but these teachers are being arrogant. I think there is a need for us to talk about this when we go for meetings. I think we should mobilise ourselves as parents and go to the meetings to challenge this.

Imagine what impact that is going to have if our children fail, that will have a drastic effect on the overall pass rate of the Matabeleland region and will forever haunt us. We are trying so much by paying for extra lessons for our children so as to improve their grades but just at the end of the journey, when they are supposed to be putting final touches and gaining composure ahead of the exams on Friday, the Headmaster pulls such a careless stunt. ” said another parent.

In an interview, Cyrene headmaster Mr Bhebhe said he had no option but to expel the students as the school needed the money to run day to day programs.

“Yes you people can be quick to point fingers to us as the school leadership but have you ever considered that the school also needs to function? How do we function without the students paying their fees?” said the Head.

Former Minister of Education, David Coltart is on record as saying that there was nothing that the government could do about schools that expelled owing students as there is no tangible policy barring them from doing that.

“Policies vary between schools and most of the schools doing that are privately owned boarding schools and Government’s interference is limited. You would find that schools require funds to operate and because of the environment we are in, their only source of money are parents. The problem is when they start demanding full payment upfront which would infringe on the right of the child to access education.

“The $5 million that was allocated to the ministry by Treasury to cover non-salary expenses is too little and as long as that situation remains there is going to be a problem. Schools cannot be allowed to collapse but at the same time we would want to urge parents to make education a priority and pay fees on time or make payment plans with the schools,” said Minister Coltart.

The Zimbabwe Mail

Bt The Zimbabwe Mail Reporter

19 October 2013

THE opposition MDC-T has claimed that syndicates controlled by top Zanu PF officials are responsible for the by cyanide poisoning of scores of elephants as the ecological disaster becomes a new sparring baton between the rival parties.

Wildlife officials say more than one hundred elephants have been killed at Hwange National Park and blame a poaching syndicate suspected to have poisoned water holes with cyanide and laced blocks of salt with the deadly chemical.

A handful of poachers have been jailed for up to 15 years and fined about US$200,000 each while those accused of supplying the chemical have also appeared before the courts.

However the MDC-T said Thursday that those arrested were insignificant foot-soldiers working at the beck and call of syndicates controlled by top Zanu PF officials.

Said the party’s shadow environment and tourism, Thamsanqa Mahlangu: “The MDC is convinced that the few poachers that have been arrested are junior players while the key players who are well connected in the murky Zanu PF circles are being left to continue with high scale poaching activities.

“Those that have been arrested were paid as little as US$500 by the well linked Zanu PF syndicates to poison the water wells with the cyanide chemicals.”

His allegations come after the Zanu PF-leaning state media claimed sanctions imposed by the West nearly a decade ago were responsible for the disaster.

President Robert Mugabe’s party claims the MDC-T lobbied for the imposition of the sanctions.

However, an incredulous former education minister, David Coltart, said it was ridiculous for Zanu PF to link the disaster to sanctions which were imposed to punish rights abuses and allegations of electoral fraud.

“I see that Zanu PF now argues that sanctions are responsible for poaching in Hwange! At this rate sanctions are going to be blamed for climate change,” he wrote on his blog.

“Instead of buying brand new Mercedes Benzes and luxury Toyota Land Cruisers for ministers had that money been applied to buying Land Rovers for our parks

“Instead of turning a blind eye to rampant corruption in the diamond sector had diamond receipts been applied to national parks then they would have had the wherewithal to run the parks properly.”

Mahlangu said, unless addressed swiftly, the disaster could adversely impact the country’s fledgling tourism sector,” he said.

“The actions of the poachers are developing a serious ecological disaster at one of the country’s key tourist attraction.

“As a party, the MDC is worried that the illegal activities at the Hwange national park will not only have an effect on the wild animals but also poses a severe threat on the day to day operations of the entire nation as tourism is one of the country’s key income generating sectors.”

David Coltart Blog – In praise of NoViolet Bulawayo

By David Coltart

16 October 2013

NoViolet Bulawayo got rave reviews last night when the BBC interviewed literary critics prior to the award of the Man Booker Prize. In fact the one person interviewed, when asked who he thought would win, said NoViolet Bulawayo.

NoViolet did not win the Prize last night but she has taken the world by storm. I recently finished reading her book, “We need new Names”, and it is not only a very powerful literary work but, perhaps more importantly from a Zimbabwean perspective, is a stunning review and expose of so much of the abuse which has taken place in Zimbabwe during the last few decades. Although it is written from the perspective of a child, its simplicity and directness enables her to tackle issues like Gukurahundi, Murambatsvina, child abuse, the universality of human rights abuses, corruption, the terrible destruction of families and the corrosive effects of pornography in a compelling and poignant manner.

Some of my favourite lines:

1. Talking about corruption and Chinese “investment” in Zimbabwe –
“Look at that drum of a stomach, it’s like he has swallowed a country”.

2. On “land reform” and Murambatsvina –

“And like that, they mourned perished pasts. There were some who appeared speechless, without words, and for a long while they walked around in silence, like the returning dead. But then with time, they remembered to open their mouths. The voices came back like tiptoeing thieves in the dark, and this is what they said:
They shouldn’t have done this to us, no, they shouldn’t have. Salilwelilizwe leli, we fought to liberate this country. Wasn’t it like this before independence? Do you remember how the whites drove us from our land and put us in those wretched reserves? I was there, you were there, wasn’t it just like this?
No, those were evil white people who came to steal our land and make us paupers in our own country.
What, but aren’t you a pauper now? Aren’t these black people evil for bulldozing your home and leaving you with nothing now?
You are all wrong. Better a white thief do that to you than your own black brother. Better a wretched white thief.
It’s the same thing and it isn’t. But what’s the use, we are here now. Here in Paradise with nothing. And they had nothing, except of course memories, their own and those passed down by their mothers and mothers mothers. The nation’s memory.”

3. On the universality of human rights abuses and their consequences –

” The others spoke languages we did not know, worshipped different gods, ate what we would not dare touch. But like us, they had left their homelands behind. They flipped open their wallets to show us faded photographs of mothers whose faces bore the same creases of worry as our very own mothers, siblings bleak-eyed with dreams unfulfilled like those of our own, fathers forlorn and defeated like ours. We had never seen their countries but we knew about everything in those pictures; we were not altogether strangers.”

Sadly I suspect that because it is such a searing indictment of so much that has gone wrong in our beloved Zimbabwe, NoViolet Bulawayo will not get the accolades she deserves at home. But one thing is clear – she has made a profound mark on the literary world and in that has demonstrated the enormous talent Zimbabwe has.

Amhlophe NoViolet Bulawayo.

The Zimbabwean

By Edgar Gweshe

16 October 2013

Government needs to urgently address the issue of teachers’ salaries to improve the education sector, a former cabinet minister has said.

Former education minister David Coltart, in an interview with The Zimbabwean, said plans by his successor to raise standards in education needed to be complemented by a salary review for teachers.

Lazarus Dokora, Coltart’s former deputy and now the minister, has pledged to improve infrastructure in schools, teacher training, the supply of learning materials, and working conditions for teachers and their support staff.

Coltart said the establishment of a vibrant education sector hinged on the manner in which government responded to the issue of wages and working conditions.

“Teachers’ salaries are very critical as far as this is concerned. We have to pay the teachers better salaries and I am glad that the government is aware of this. We need to have attractive salaries for teachers and that should be the principal aim of the government,” said Coltart. “However, I need to say that these policies outlined by the Ministry were agreed to in the medium-term plan and I am glad that the Ministry has continued with these policies.”

Teachers’ unions say they are talking to the government about a salary review and other concerns. Teachers earn around $400, which is $140 below the poverty threshold for Zimbabwe.

During the last decade, Zimbabwe has lost an estimated 20,000 teachers to neighbouring countries because of poor salaries and unfavourable conditions of service.

Coltart said it was imperative that the government relaxed the re-admission criteria for teachers coming back into the profession.

Unions last week told The Zimbabwean that some teachers wanting to come back to the profession were having to wait as long as two years because of the stringent conditions for their re-admission.

“There have been problems with the Public Service Commission, which applied quite stringent criteria. In 2009, I declared an amnesty to get teachers back, and that worked. We had about 15,000 teachers who came back to the profession. I am not sure whether we might need another amnesty now, but we have to revise the re-admission conditions,” said Coltart.

Southern Eye

By Luyanduhlobo Makwati

16 October 2013

THE Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) was yesterday ducking and diving over the unfolding controversy surrounding the Grade 7 Ndebele public examination paper which contained bad language as choruses grow for the government to institute a probe into the scandal.

Several calls to Zimsec headquarters by Southern Eye seeking clarification were spurned for a second consecutive day.

Alex Charidza, a public relations officer at Zimsec in Harare, promised to provide details on what actually transpired, but failed to do so by the time of going to print yesterday.

“I will get back to you, give me 15 minutes, I will give you a comment now,” Charidza said yesterday afternoon, before cutting his phone off.

Some senior provincial education officers in Matabeleland, where the exam was written on Friday, shockingly revealed to Southern Eye that they had not seen the offensive Ndebele paper.

Mathius Luphahla, the deputy provincial education director for Matabeleland North responsible for primary schools, said he had not seen the paper, saying he was in Binga.

“I haven’t seen the paper because last week Friday, I was in Binga discharging some of my duties in the ministry. I cannot shed more light on the issue because I haven’t seen the paper,” Luphahla said.

But former Education minister David Coltart called for an investigation into the saga, adding that it would be surprising if Zimsec had not consulted education officers from Matabeleland before the exam was set.

“It’s an oversight. It’s regrettable, but I’m sure it will be sorted out in due course. An investigation is needed on how this crept in,” Coltart said.

“But I don’t think it was done deliberately to undermine Ndebele as a language. An investigation will be a proper thing to do because it is important for the language to be correct, not only for the sake of the children, but for the integrity and heritage of the Ndebele language.”

Veteran educationist and language specialist Reverend Paul Damasane condemned the examiners saying the paper should have been well-moderated so that it portrays the true reflection of the Ndebele-speaking communities.

Damasane said if the Ndebele Grade 7 paper failed to address this, it meant that the culture of the Ndebele people would be compromised.

Umthwakazi youth leaders took a swipe on the country’s examining body.

Mqondisi Moyo, spokesperson of the group, said Zimsec must explain its actions.

“It’s so sad that the ministry (of Education) is assisting these people who are trying to assassinate Ndebele as a language and what they are doing is not good and we will not condone it,” Moyo said.

“The behaviour of these examiners is very chaotic and it cannot be replicated anywhere on earth.”

By David Coltart

14 October 2013

Thank God for Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He is now campaigning that African States should not withdraw from the International Criminal Court. For all the problems associated with this relatively new body an African pull out would be disastrous for international justice. Whilst all the tyrants of the world will be exultant it will mean that despots like Charles Taylor can act with impunity in future.

Zimbabwe has not joined the ICC and in the Zanu PF mouthpiece the Herald this morning it is stated that it “is not party to the treaty on the strength of its deep-rooted belief in domestic legal systems”. Of course that is Zanu PF’s “deep rooted belief in domestic legal systems” not the people of Zimbabwe’s belief in those “domestic systems”. Zanu PF led the charge against the SADC Tribunal so domestic does not clearly mean African or even Southern African courts – it means our courts within Zimbabwe. It is these courts which have been hand picked for decades and the vast majority of judges have received farms and are clearly aligned to Zanu PF. It is no wonder that Zanu PF has this deep rooted belief in their own judges because they know that that “domestic system” will perpetuate impunity in Zimbabwe.

The beloved “Arch” is right on the money when he says: “Far from being anti-African the ICC’s chief prosecutor, vice-president and five of its judges are Africans and its interventions have saved countless lives in Africa. Those who fear being prosecuted by the ICC should not be allowed to lead Africa by the nose”.

http://www.herald.co.zw/tutu-fights-african-pullout-from-icc/

Southern Eye

By Southern Eye Reporter

13 October 2013

THE GOVERNMENT has no plans to give victims of Gukurahundi decent burials because it runs the risk of including people who do not deserve the privilege, Home Affairs deputy minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has said.

The Zanu PF minister made the remarks during a question and answer session in the Senate on Thursday after MDC-T senator Dorothy Khumalo asked if the government would extend its programme to rebury remains of people who died during the liberation war to victims of the Gukurahundi genocide.

“There are remains of people who fought in the war and they have not been buried properly,” Khumalo said.

“I would think if that is done, similarly there are remains of people who died during the Gukurahundi which have not been buried properly. I hope we are also going to think about them and bury them properly.”

However, Ziyambi said burying victims of the massacres, some who were thrown into mine shafts in Matabeleland and the Midlands would be problematic.

“The problem we have is that we have a case whereby we are going to bury people whose cause of death we are not aware of,” he said.

“We will run into the problem whereby we even bury people who are not supposed to be buried by the State.

“This is quite a difficult question because when we are following this reburial programme, we have to follow the channels set up by the government. We have to follow the criteria required for the people to be reburied, people with a specific history.”

Human rights groups say up to 20 000 people were killed by the North Korea-trained 5th Brigade in Matabeleland and the Midlands soon after independence.

President Robert Mugabe refused to apologise for the mass killings saying dissidents should also be held accountable.

Mugabe once described the genocide as a moment of madness.

Meanwhile, Ziyambi blamed the poor state of provincial and district heroes’ acres across the country on sanctions imposed by the West.

He was responding to a question by former Matabeleland North governor Sithokozile Mathuthu who asked what the government was doing about the poor state of the shrines.

“I have realised that the Lupane heroes’ acres and other heroes’ acres in that area have not been constructed, and accorded the proper dignity that they deserve to have,” she said. “You find that livestock move around even on the graves.”

The deputy minister said the sanctions were to blame for the poor state of the shrines.

“We have been in problems and we seem to be sneaking out of these problems, but the problem we face is that we were living in the period of sanctions,” Ziyambi said.

“We know that if the sanctions are removed we will be able to get enough money so that we could work on all the projects which we were set out to do including care which should be given to the heroes acres nationwide.”

Former Education minister David Coltart last month warned that Zanu PF would start blaming everything that goes wrong in the country on the embargo imposed on Mugabe and his inner circle.

Coltart urged the Western countries to lift the sanctions and deprive Zanu PF a scapegoat for failed policies.

News Day

By Tawanda Tafirenyika

10 October 2013

THE Zifa disciplinary Committee has set October 17, 2013 as the date for the hearing of Harare City Football Club chairman Leslie Gwindi over allegations of bringing the game into disrepute following utterances he allegedly made at a Bulawayo Press club in March this year.

The charges against Gwindi, who challenged Zifa president Cuthbert Dube in the last election, comes five months before the next elections set for March next year.

Zifa lawyer Ralph Maganga said yesterday papers to call Gwindi to the disciplinary hearing were ready by Friday and summons would be sent to Gwindi this week.

Maganga said summons should be served 72 hours before the hearing takes place according to the statutory instrument.

“The prosecutor of the Disciplinary Committee advised me that the papers were ready by Friday and that the Disciplinary Committee agreed on the date. Summons will be served this week. They should be served 72 hours before the date of the hearing,” Maganga said.

The former Premier Soccer League (PSL) and Dynamos secretary is alleged to have launched an attack on Zifa, the PSL, former Warriors coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels and Delta Beverages —the sponsors of the league.

The PSL is said to have been riled by Gwindi whose utterances they said had caused discomfort between them and the sponsors.

The PSL allegedly wrote to Zifa asking them to take action since he is a PSL governor and also because his comments also attacked the soccer mother body.

Zifa, in their correspondence to Gwindi, is also said to have indicated that the Harare City chairman had “insulted’’ the then Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart.

Part of the letter reads: “On the 8th of March 2013 and at Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel, the respondent unlawfully and intentionally committed an act of misconduct likely to bring the game into disrepute by using bad and insulting language while addressing various media practitioners and other invited guests at the Bulawayo Press Club in that you insulted the Zifa leadership saying that the leaders elected do not know anything about football and the current collapse is a result of total lack of leadership. The leaders (meaning Zifa board and councilors) are in football for egos, personal agendas or political reasons.’’

The statements, Zifa also said, were “in fact intended to cause alarm and despondency so that the game becomes ungovernable much to the detriment of football in Zimbabwe’’.

The soccer controlling body also alleged that Gwindi had insulted Delta Beverages, who sponsor the PSL through their Castle Lager brand.

“You insulted the PSL sponsors, Delta Beverages more specifically Castle Breweries by calling its sponsorship of the league peanuts and a result of those irresponsible statements Castle Breweries have threatened to cancel the sponsorship deal it signed with PSL.

“The statements were made to scare away corporate sponsors from the game so that the PSL and Zifa leadership is seen in bad light by the football loving public.

“You insulted the senior men national team coach Pagels by calling him a tourist to Zimbabwe not capable of coaching football. You further described his appointment as a joke which shows lack of brains on the part of the complainant’s current leadership.

“Pagels was in Zimbabwe on a government to government agreement and his upkeep is borne by the German government using tax payers’ money.

“You clearly breached protocol by rubbishing the coach’s appointment and calling him a tourist who is in Zimbabwe on holiday to enjoy the sunshine, the world famous Victoria Falls and other tourist attractions.

“You did show lack of respect for the Zimbabwean and German governments’ efforts in the development of football in the country,” charged Zifa.