Southern Eye

Letter to the Editor by Engelmar Amon Sibanda

12 September 2013

DAVID Coltart was a Senator in Bulawayo and Education minister. It is amazing how people can fall in love with one person. The love many people have for Coltart is beyond description.

He is a resident in Bulawayo, but people from Harare, Masvingo and all over the country are praising him for what he did for Zimbabwe’s education.

One friend said to me if he had his way, he would put Coltart in a basket, carry him to President Robert Mugabe and say: “Here, take him and reappoint him Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister.”

This shows what people hoped would happen. It’s interesting how there is so much love for the man across the political divide. When he was appointed minister, he put aside politics and worked efficiently while the whole lot of ministers continued politicking right to the end of their terms.

Coltart was hardworking. I hope all newly-appointed ministers will forget about politics and focus on their mandate.

Southern Eye

By Nqobile Bhebehe

12 September 2013

THE appointment of Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs by President Robert Mugabe has all but effectively suppressed devolution of power, a concept enshrined in the new Constitutions, the opposition MDCs have warned.

On Tuesday, Mugabe picked 10 members of his party and appointed them ministers for each of the country’s provinces, raising fears that these were equivalent to governors the new Constitution had done away with.

MDC legal affairs secretary David Coltart said the appointment of the ministers would create leadership hierarchy challenges in provinces.

“I was totally surprised by the appointment of 10 Ministers of State for Provincial affairs,” he said.

“The end result is that devolution is no longer feasible.

“This will cause problems as to who would be in charge of provinces, considering that there will be provincial councils.”

Coltart said although the President was not restricted on the number of ministers he could appoint, the 10 resident ministers would be an extra cost.

MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti recently said devolution of power would be among Zanu PF’s first casualties as the party was heavily opposed to the concept.

“Since the old governors were, in fact, resident ministers, Mugabe will simply appoint a group of what he will call resident ministers,” he warned.

“Once this is done, it will be the effective end of devolution as designed by the Constitution.

“Of particular challenge is the speed with which the new provincial governance law necessary to give effect to devolution is enacted.”

Trevor Maisiri, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, yesterday said these appointments would ensure that power remained centralised.

“Devolution is under severe threat,” he warned.

“The appointment of Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs has dashed hopes of decentralising power.

“Those provincial ministers will report directly to the President, hence their interaction with provincial councils or mayors of respective areas will be superficial. They will override every programme set to be taken in their respective provinces.”

Maisiri said the provincial councils were now a sub-structure of local government, rendering mayors redundant.

“As for the mayors from the opposition MDC-T, they have been rendered irrelevant before they assume office, more so in that the man who was constantly at loggerheads with local authorities controlled by MDC-T, Ignatius Chombo, is still heading the Local Government ministry,” he said.

Mugabe and Chombo openly resisted devolution during the constitution-making exercise saying it would divide the country on ethnic lines.

The clause was only included after intense horse trading between the MDC formations and Zanu PF.

The Financial Gazette

Maggie Mzumara

12 September 2013

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s appointments to the new Cabinet reflect a “worrying’ deviation from the new Constitution which does not inspire confidence in some sections of society.
Topping the list of the deviations is the gender composition of the Cabinet as well as the issue of devolution.
In a Cabinet of 26 members, only three women have been appointed.
“It is a mockery of the new Constitution which clearly states that there should be equal representation of women and men in public administration bodies at the national and local government levels,” said Virginia Muwanigwa, chairperson of Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe and director of the Humanitarian Information Facilitation Centre.

Muwanigwa said not only did this violate constitutional provisions, but it also went against what the ZANU-PF party’s own manifesto purported. 
“In light of the new Constitution, it sends out a message, unfortunately very clear, that women’s rights and gender equality are not among government priorities, despite what the political party manifesto says,” she said, adding, “It does not inspire confidence and while this relates to the provisions for women, it has implications on respect for guarantees on socio-economic and humanitarian issues contained within the Bill of Rights, not just for women but for all the people of Zimbabwe.”

Former minister of education, sport, arts and culture, David Coltart, told The Financial Gazette that President Mugabe’s disregard of constitutional provisions set a bad precedent. 
“I am concerned by the deviations from the Constitution. Clearly the objective of gender balance as provided for by Section 17, which must be read together with section 104 (4), has not been met,” Coltart said. “How is it going to be possible to ensure that this objective is met at other levels when Cabinet does not itself comply?”

Muwanigwa concurred, saying that the implication of under-representation of women in Cabinet was likely to be echoed in other bodies and institutions of governance. 
“We may yet see more reneging of the commitments to respect women’s rights to not only representation in other bodies still to be appointed, but absence from key decision making posts such as chairpersons of Parliamentary Portfolio Committees, commissions, among others,” she said.

While it may have been too much to hope for immediate adoption of the constitutional guarantees in full all at once, Muwanigwa said, “We would have wanted to see an increase in representation not lower than 30 percent and in light of the African Union Women’s Rights Protocol, closer to 50 percent.”

Gender balance was not the only point of deviation observed. Coltart said he was also concerned with the appointment of resident ministers as it impacted heavily on the move towards devolution, as provided for in the new Constitution.

“I am sure the President can appoint as many ministers as he likes but on the issue of the resident ministers what role are they going to play? Constitutional provisions in Chapter 14 and section 268 make provisions for provincial councils. It undermines the whole concept of devolution”

Southern Eye

By Southern Eye Reporter

11 September 2013

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe yesterday announced a surprise Cabinet that saw the return of Jonathan Moyo to the Information ministry.

Other notable names were moved to less fashionable ministries.

Moyo, who headed the Information ministry between 2002 and 2005, was a polarising figure within media circles and many blamed him for draconian laws like the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The political science professor has in the past been accused of being responsible for overseeing the closure of the Daily News, the Tribune and the Weekly Times.

Moyo’s appointment could be an indication that his rehabilitation within Zanu PF has come full circle, following his axeing from government in 2005 over the so called Tsholotsho declaration.

In a surprise move, Obert Mpofu was shifted to the Transport ministry, which many feel is a demotion from the Mines ministry he held previously.

Another shocking “demotion” was that of Saviour Kasukuwere, who was moved from the influential Indigenisation ministry to the Environment, Water and Climate ministry.

Kasukuwere had come to embody the indigenisation policy that Zanu PF has been pushing and his movement came as a shock, as many thought he had succeeded in that regard.

Francis Nhema, considered a moderate, has been moved to the Indigenisation ministry, another surprise as in the past his forte was environment and tourism.

Former Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa was moved to the Justice ministry, which despite being powerful, may dent his chances in the Zanu PF succession matrix.

The 89-year-old leader also split the Education, Sport, Arts and Culture ministry into two.

Insiza North MP Andrew Langa was appointed to head the Sport, Arts and Culture portfolio while Lazarus Dokora is the new Education minister.

Mugabe also reserved the biggest shock for last, appointing 10 ministers of State for Provincial Affairs, a move likely to undermine the Provincial Councils that were created by the new Constitution.

Eunice Sandi-Moyo, Abednico Ncube and Cain Mathema were appointed Ministers of State for Bulawayo, Matabeleland South and North, respectively.

For Masvingo and the Midlands, Mugabe appointed Kudakwashe Bhasikiti and Jason Machaya, respectively.

However, former Education minister David Coltart has raised the red flag saying there were too few women appointed and this could be in contravention of the Constitution.

“There are only three women in the new Zimbabwean Cabinet, but Sections 17 and 104 of the Constitution state there must be gender balance in Cabinet,” he said on microblogging site, Twitter.

Commenting on the appointments, political analysts said the new ministers should be given the benefit of the doubt and see how they would perform.

“Moyo, who has a track record of bringing development to Tsholotsho, together with Cain Mathema and others, should be given credit for initiating and spearheading the establishment of Lupane State University in Matabeleland North Province,” Methuseli Moyo, a veteran journalist, said.

“The university is a landmark development for the province.

“Langa and (Simon) Khaya-Moyo should be rewarded, as they worked hard to win support for Zanu PF, as Matabeleland South provincial chairman and national chairman respectively.”

A Gweru-based political analyst, Nhamo Mhiripiri, said the ministers were political and intellectual leaders who should rise above petty and narrow regional interests and work for the whole nation.

“As ministers, there are high benchmarks which they should achieve nationally,” he said.

“They should work for national development.”

11 September 2013

SW Radio Africa

By Nomalanga Moyo

11 September 2013

The Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe says it hopes the new education minister will use the experience he gained during his time as deputy minister to improve the sector.

Lazarus Dokora, who was deputy education minister in the last government, was elevated to the helm of the ministry by President Robert Mugabe Tuesday.

Dokora replaces outgoing minister David Coltart, who was regarded as one of the most hardworking ministers in the last cabinet and a man who managed to keep the education sector afloat despite a serious lack of resources and government support.

Speaking to SW Radio Africa Wednesday, PTUZ secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said unions had no choice but to work with who ever had been appointed.

“Whether we like it or not, criticise, approve or salute, nothing will change. So as far as we are concerned we have worked with Dokora as deputy minister and we hope that he will use the experience he has garnered over the years for the benefit of the education sector.”

Majongwe said unions will be expecting the new minister to focus on reviving the country’s education system, including improving the conditions of service, security, and salaries for teachers.

“We want infrastructural development to take centre stage and then we can move forward as a country,” said Majongwe.

Earlier this week, unions expressed concern after it emerged that some schools, especially those in rural areas, had still not opened due to a shortage of teachers.

Majongwe said he hoped that the new minister will move swiftly to address staffing issues so that students can attend classes normally.

The recruitment of teachers was last month moved to the Civil Service Commission, and Majongwe said this was a positive development.

“There was a lot of abuse of the system particularly by education officers. We were having female teachers and jobseekers being abused and there was generally a lot of corruption so this is a good thing for us,” he said.

Zimbabwe Election

11 September 2013

President Robert Mugabe’s new cabinet includes hardliners accused of murdering opposition supporters and of destroying the economy over the last 14 years.

But his choices indicate that he narrowly supports vice president Joyce Mujuru to succeed him when he retires or dies.

Mr Mugabe, 89, flushed with success of a landslide election victory has turned his back on any possibility of rapprochement with his western critics by appointing a cabinet dominated by hardliners who obstructed political reform in the recently ended inclusive government.

The team includes his election agent, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who headed up the team which delivered victory at the July polls which many critics say were rigged. Mr Mugabe won more than 60 percent of the vote against his rival Morgan Tsvangirai, who polled a feeble 37 percent.

Mr Mnangagwa, who is known for his determined ambition to succeed Mr Mugabe when he retires or dies, is justice minister. He heads a justice system widely believed to be loyal to Mr Mugabe and his Zanu PF party, and lacking independence.

He is also accused by human rights groups of involvement in mass murder of opposition supporters after independence. He is a trained lawyer and was tortured while in detention in what was then Rhodesia, but saved from the gallows by white lawyers who protested he was too young to die.

Mr Mnangagwa has been associated with many of the worst excesses of human rights violations since independence. However he has been moved away from the more powerful defence ministry in Mr Mugabe’s new cabinet – a move analysts say is designed to keep him secure in his job while also indicating that Mr Mugabe would rather not have him as his successor.

Jonathan Moyo, the maverick one-time academic who designed repressive legislation in 2001 which curtails media freedom and which has resulted in the arrest of many journalists, has been brought in from the cold to head up the information ministry again. Mr Moyo regularly writes columns in the state media which some analysts describe as hate speech.

Patrick Chinamasa’s tenure in the justice ministry saw extraordinary manipulation of laws to jail supporters of Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change. During this period many judges viewed as independent were forced from their jobs and replaced with judges loyal to Mr Mugabe’s Zanu PF party. He now heads up the finance ministry and is considered shrewd. However he takes over a country bankrupted by the costs of the election and which will struggle to even pay its public servants.

Zimbabwe historian David Moore said Mr Chinamasa’s appointment as finance minsiter was critical: “Remember that Chinamasa was acting finance minister in 2008 when the Zimbabwean dollar was canned and Zimbabwe lost its effective sovereignty as it adoped its ‘multi-currency’ stance, meaning the US dollar became the real currency, and he has been reminded, in London, earlier this year that he should adopt West friendly policies if Zimbabwe was to return to the fold.”

Other analysts were depressed at the retention of Mr Mugabe’s old favourites in favour of reformists: “This cabinet sends a message of reassertion of the old guard, and is sending a message of consolidation of the old Zanu PF strategy. There is no indication of reform in this cabinet. Unless there is a change of messaging in the next few months, Zanu PF is battening down the hatches and consolidating its indigenisation programme,” said veteran Zimbabwe political analyst Brian Raftopoulos. He said the results of the July 31 elections were “very depressing.”

David Coltart, the outgoing education minister from the Movement for Democratic Change who served the inclusive government and managed to raise funds to re-open all Zimbabwe’s schools which closed during during the country’s world beating inflation, said his successor and former deputy Lazarus Dokora was “a decent man who will probably continue most of my policies but will struggle to finance them”.

He and other analysts believe some of the most controversial ministers in the previous cabinet have been demoted from major ministries to minor ones. The man who drove the indigenisation policy which was the major plank of Mr Mugabe’s campaign, Saviour Kasukawere, has lost that portfolio and has been given water affairs. His successor, the former wildlife minister Frances Nhema, is so “incompetent”, according to an analyst, that insiders say he could not drive any indigenisation policy, indicating that Mr Mugabe may be worried about takeovers of Zimbabwe’s largest foreign-owned companies.

Obert Mpofu, who conjured up a takeover by the state of private diamond mining leases, has lost the powerful mines portfolio and has been moved to transport. Mr Mpofu owns an undeclared multimillion dollar fleet of heavy transporters used in the mining industry.

Retained as Local Affairs minister is Ignatius Chombo who ordered local authorities to write off millions in debt ahead of election – a move is likely to threaten delivery of services and jeopardise the salaries of municipal officials and workers.

Mr Mugabe’s loyalists are largely divided into three factions, those who support him and no other; a group of moderates who favour Mrs Mujuru as his successor; and hardliners who support Mr Mnangagwa.

Southern Eye

By Southern Eye Reporter

11 September 2013

PETRA High School student Estelle Stambolie was named the Most Pomising Junior Player of the Year at the Hockey Association of Zimbabwe (Haz) Annual Awards held at Old Miltonians Club at the weekend.

Stambolie immediately won plaudits from former Education, Sport, Arts, and Culture minister David Coltart.

Stambolie together with two other former Petra students, Melissa Sibanda and Chelsea Louw, were subsequently enlisted into the national women’s hockey squad after the Haz Cup tournament.

The team will represent the country in the World Series to be hosted by Zimbabwe next September on condition Magamba Hockey Stadium in Harare is refurbished on time.

“Hearty congratulations to BAC women’s team for winning the HAZ Cup (the top club competition in Zimbabwe) at the Khumalo Stadium on Saturday.

I am particularly delighted by the performance of Petra High School student Estelle Stambolie and the fact that she won the ‘most promising junior player in Zimbabwe’ award,” Coltart said.

Hippo Valley, who won the men’s final after thrashing neighbours Rams 7-1, dominated the accolades after scooping the Sports Team of the Year award while Donald Mutupo, who grabbed a hat-trick in the final was named the Sportsman of the Year.

Arnold Mpofu, also of Hippo, walked away with the Juniors Sportsman of the Year while teammate Luckson Sikisa won the Most Promising Junior Player of the Year.

Kristina Manolios of Scorpions grabbed the Sportswoman of the Year award while Stephanie Campbell of Harare was honoured with the Junior Sportswoman of the Year award.

Haz also honoured technical officials with Matabeleland Hockey board’s Kalpesh Parshotam being named the Administrator of the Year, Ginny Ross, the Official of the Year and Cynthia Louw, the Volunteer of the Year.

Nicky Watson of Bulawayo won the President’s Award for 2012 with Harare’s Kevin Whatmann taking this year’s award.

News Day

By Fortune Mbele

11 September 2013

PETRA High School student Estelle Stambolie was named the most promising Junior Player of the Year (Women) at the Hockey Association of Zimbabwe (Haz) Annual Awards held at Old Miltonians Club at the weekend and immediately won plaudits from outgoing Education, Sport Arts and Culture minister David Coltart.

Stambolie, together with two other former Petra students, Melissa Sibanda and Chelsea Louw, were subsequently enlisted into the national women’s hockey squad after the Haz Cup tournament.

The national team will be representing the country in the World Series to be hosted by Zimbabwe next September on condition that Magamba Hockey Stadium in Harare is refurbished on time.

Coltart on Monday hailed Stambolie for winning the award.

“Hearty congratulations to BAC women’s team for winning the HAZ Cup (the top club competition in Zimbabwe) at the Khumalo Stadium on Saturday. I am particularly delighted by the performance of Petra High School student Estelle Stambolie and the fact that she won the most promising junior player in Zimbabwe,” Coltart said.

Hippo Valley, who won the men’s final after thrashing neighbours Rams 7-1, dominated the accolades after scooping the Sports Team of the Year award while Donald Mutupo, who grabbed a hat trick in the final, was named the Sportsman of the Year.

Arnold Mpofu, also of Hippo, walked away with the Juniors Sportsman of the Year and while teammate Luckson Sikisa won the Most Promising Junior Player of the Year.

Kristina Manolios of Scorpions grabbed the Sportswoman of the Year award while Stephanie Campbell of Harare was honoured with the Junior Sportswoman of the Year award.

Haz also honoured technical officials with Matabeleland Hockey Board’s Kalpesh Parshotam being named the Administrator of the Year, Ginny Ross, the Official of the Year and Cynthia Louw, the Volunteer of the Year.

Nicky Watson of Bulawayo won the President’s Award for 2012 with Harare’s Kevin Whatmann taking this year’s award.

Southern Eye

By Wellington Toni

11 September 2013

INSIZA North Member of Parliament Andrew Langa was yesterday named the Sport, Arts and Culture minister in the new government.

He will be deputised by Tabetha Malinga. The new ministry seems to be a response by President Mugabe to calls to separate sport from education in a bid to unlock value and open doors for corporate partnerships and sponsorship in the process creating jobs for the youth.

Mugabe went even further and appointed the former Education, Sport, Arts and Culture deputy minister Lazarus Dokora as the man in charge of the new Primary and Secondary Education ministry while Olivia Muchena will be in charge of Higher and Tertiary Education.

In the past under David Coltart, sport struggled to get a voice, as all attention — and rightly so — was on uplifting education. But will Langa fit the bill in particular when it comes to funding for the country’s most popular sport — football?

Zifa, the country’s football mother body has been calling for this ministry for a long time as they felt neglected in terms of resource allocation. They are sitting on a $4 million debt and have recently launched a Zimbabwe Football Trust in a bid to fundraise and clear the arrears.

Property continues to be attached at the national association over various debts and elsewhere in today’s paper, some employees from the former regime of Wellington Nyatanga, whose tenure was entangled in the Asiagate scandal, want more property to be attached to pay off monies owed to them. In 2009, Langa survived suspension, together with then Foreign Affairs deputy minister Abednico Ncube, over their alleged role in the Tsholotsho Declaration, which sought to ensure leadership renewal in Zanu PF, right from the top.

Since then, he has gone to become Public Service deputy minister and now finally assumes a full ministry with a weight of expectations on his shoulders.

After all, Langa, the provincial chairman and Zanu PF national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo, delivered the entire Matabeleland South to the ruling party.

Zifa have been the chief advocates for the creation of the ministry in the last few years and Mugabe had hinted during Benjani Mwaruwari’s testimonial last year that he could accommodate them in future. Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze last night said: “This is a victory for sport in general and football in particular. And this is a testament to the important role that sport plays globally in employment creation, recreation and development across cultures.

“It will help unlock the value of sport and convince the corporate world that sport is now being taken seriously. And its infusion with arts and culture also falls in line with the millennium development goals.

“Investors who were waiting on the wings can now come in and put their money in competitions, infrastructure or even the various associations themselves.

“As the football family, we can’t wait to meet with the new minister and introduce to him the board, the trust, the Golden Jubilee committee and the 2014 Chan-bound senior national men’s (football) team.”

Langa comes in when the Basketball Union of Zimbabwe has failed to raise funds for the Afro-basket championships and the Hockey Association of Zimbabwe has also failed to get money for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The national cricket team’s hosting of Sri Lanka is in doubt as Zimbabwe Cricket has asked for a postpoment. Magamba Hockey Stadium, Harare, has to be refurbished to host next year’s World Club Championships while Bulawayo has won the right to host the 201 Zone VI Games.

A full plate for Langa!