The Chronicle

By Sikhumbuzo Moyo

31 October 2013

ZIFA have acceded to a request by Zimbabwe Warriors coach Ian “Dibango” Gorowa to shift base for the national team matches from Rufaro Stadium in Harare to Bulawayo’s Barbourfields Stadium.

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting in the city at the weekend, Gorowa, believed to have been given a five-year contract by Zifa, said he would want all the Warriors 2015 African Nations Cup qualifying matches to be moved to Barbourfields Stadium instead of Rufaro Stadium that has an artificial turf.

He said the artificial turf heightened the risk of injuries to players and besides there was a need to spread the national team games to venues outside Harare.

“I am requesting Zifa that we play all our qualifying games for Afcon 2015 at Barbourfields Stadium instead of Harare. I feel that we have to spread our football and Harare should not have the right to play host to all national team matches. Besides, the artificial turf at Rufaro Stadium is not up to standard and I think it’s important we utilise Barbourfields Stadium. We have the National Sports Stadium but of late the Warriors have not been getting good results there, the  other facilities like Sakubva are not Fifa approved and therefore Barbourfields will be ideal as we try to rediscover the past successes of the national team,” Gorowa told the meeting.

In an interview with Chronicle Sport yesterday, Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela, said the association was fully behind the national team coach’s call as it was also in line with their vision of spreading the game to all corners of the country.

“We support Gorowa’s call to move the Warriors’ base to Bulawayo. The Warriors are a national team and therefore should have a national outlook. As Zifa we would even go further and take the Warriors to other provinces as well as long as there are proper facilities,” said Gwesela.

The Zifa spokesperson said the Warriors’ next international friendly match against Mozambique set for 8 December would certainly be played at Barbourfields Stadium.

Speaking during an all stakeholders’ breakfast meeting in the capital recently, the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Andrew Langa, said part of his ministry’s vision was to see representative national teams taking their games across the country instead of concentrating on Harare.

The former Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture David Coltart had actually ordered the Sport and Recreation Commission to make sure national associations take national teams’ games to various parts of the country.

Football fans, administrators and analysts have also welcomed Gorowa’s call and said it was long overdue.

Premier Soccer League secretary general Kennedy Ndebele said the move was welcome as it would spark interest in the national team games across the country.

“We have been practising it as PSL and I think we ignited some interest. It’s also a challenge to local authorities to improve their infrastructure so that they benefit by playing host to national team matches. It’s a good move,” said Ndebele.

Friends of Warriors Matabeleland South chairman Bekezela Fuzwayo said as an association they had also been calling for that move and were glad their calls had been heard.

Football analyst Faith Dube praised Gorowa whom he described as a “pure sportsman” and visionary.

“National team games must be spread across the country and they disentangle the stigma that made the national team a Harare Select project. Football at national team level also serves a critical social cohesive role and unification of the people of Zimbabwe and hence keeping it as a Harare project has serious retrogressive implications for the growth of the game in the country. I therefore see Gorowa as a real leader and visionary through his stance,” said Dube.

Former Highlanders team doctor Xolani Ndlovu said the move was good and would get the entire nation behind the national team.

“Some people no longer cared about the Warriors because they viewed the team as a Harare project,” he said.

Soccer fan Raymond Maqethuka Dube said the whole country would now identify with the national team.

“Gorowa has just shown us that he is a national team coach. This team is for us all. This guy is a professional. I hope this will come to fruition and we now feel equally Zimbabwean,” he said.

The Herald

Bt The Herald Reporter

31 October 2013

THE case in which Harare City chairman Leslie Gwindi is being charged with bringing the game into disrepute has been adjourned to Monday to allow the former Premier Soccer League secretary-general time to summon two witnesses key to his defence.

After a false start earlier this month when the hearing was postponed following claims by the accused that he had been notified of his appearance late, the matter finally got underway in Harare on Tuesday night.

Gwindi is facing charges of contravening the Section 4.1©, 4.2(f) and 4.3 of the Zifa rules and regulations 1996 which deals with “misconduct, betting, bribery, bad language and conduct likely to bring the game of football; into disrepute’’.

The charges arise from comments attributed to the former Dynamos secretary-general on his tour of Bulawayo in March.
It is Zifa’s case that:

“On the 8th of March 2013 at the Bulawayo Press Club meeting at Bulawayo rainbow hotel, Leslie Gwindi unlawfully and with intent to damage the reputation of the Zimbabwe Football Association board in particular and Zimbabwe football in general, committed an act of misconduct likely to bring the game into disrepute by using bad language and insulting the Premier Soccer League sponsors Delta Beverages (Castle Lager brand), the Zimbabwe Football Association board, the Zimbabwe National Senior men team coach Mr. Pagels and the Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture Senator David Coltart’’.

In dragging Gwindi to the hearing Zifa contend that the Harare City chairman insulted the game’s chiefs, the PSL sponsors and former Warriors coach Klaus Dieter Pagels.

Pagels who had a brief flirtation as Warriors coach had been in Zimbabwe on a three-year government to government agreement working as the Zifa technical adviser through the Olympic Solidarity fund.

Zifa were infuriated by the comments attributed to Gwindi in the media following his address to the Bulawayo Press Club.

Gwindi is accused of having been quoted as saying:

“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 councillors) are in football for egos, personal agendas or political reasons. Sound administration produces results. The problem with Zifa is because it has toxic leadership, which is poisonous to everything they touch,’’ read part of the statements.

Zifa charged that the statements were designed at disturbing the tranquil that was prevailing in the game.

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

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

“The statements were meant 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’’.

Gwindi is also being charged for his alleged attack on Pagels and then Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Coltart.
“Further you insulted the Minister of Education, Sports Arts and Culture by claiming that he was not doing anything for football since his interest was in cricket despite the fact that Mr. Coltart has engaged the complainant regularly on football matters more specifically by holding an all stakeholders indaba in September 2012 which set the tone for a turnaround strategy for Zimbabwean football.

“The respondents’ utterances have put football into disrepute and militated against complaint’s (Zifa) current efforts to rehabilitate the game. The statements ridiculed the entire football leadership from the Area zones up to the Zifa board. Your conduct is unlawful and you had no right to act in the manner you did”, wrote Zifa.

Gwindi, who as in the company of his lawyers during the hearing however, argued that he wanted to summon two witnesses he believes are key to his defence outline.

However, Zifa seem to have also built their case on the grounds of communication from PSL chairman Twine Phiri in which he complained to the mother body over Gwindi’s conduct.

Phiri also signed an affidavit in which he noted that the league’s relationship with Delta Beverages had been affected by the statements attributable to Gwindi.

“I am the chairman of the Premier Soccer League having been duly appointed by the Premier Soccer League assembly.

“I recall sometime in March 2013, I read a newspaper article that related to the utterances or a speech made by the Harare City Football Club chairperson Mr. Leslie Gwindi during the Bulawayo Press Club gathering held at Rainbow hotel, Bulawayo.

“On a later date I received correspondence from the sponsors of the Premier Soccer League, Delta Beverages raising concern about statements attributed to Mr. Gwindi and they were threatening to pull out of the sponsorship citing that the PSL was not appreciating their sponsorship deal.

“Considering the fact that the utterances were bent on putting the game of football into disrepute, I contacted the Zimbabwe Football Association for directives.

“I can confirm that I have no personal vendetta against the Harare City chairperson and that the respondent’s utterances were very damaging in our relation with the corporate sector,’’ read part of Phiri’s affidavit on the matter. Gwindi had also argued that Zifa did not have the jurisdiction to try him on the matter and contended that the PSL’s disciplinary committee should have handled the case but Zifa maintain that as the football authorities in the country they were answerable to the kind of alleged attacks that the Harae city boss made on Pagels, the government and the game’s sponsors and leadership.

ZimEye

29 October 2013

The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation’s equipment is still the same since the 1960s it has been said.

Below is a commentary by former Education, Sports and Culture Minister David Coltart following Information Minister Jonathan Moyo’s heart breaking tour of the broadcaster’s studios yesterday.

“Prof Moyo, Minister of Information, commended one of the librarians at ZBC for opening her heart and tell him the truth about the state of affairs at the national broadcaster.

The female librarian was courageous enough to tell Prof Moyo in the presence of her senior managers that the system of recording information on VHS was outdated.”

These two hilarious sentences appear in the Herald today. Whilst I also commend the librarian for “telling the truth”, what is astonishing is that it took her to reveal the truth, which is immediately obvious to anyone who visits the ZBC. You just have to spend 2 minutes in the foyer to see that it is more like a museum than a broadcasting studio – it literally is a cast back to the 1970s, in fact possibly even the 1960s, because the Rhodesian Front regime was subjected to sanctions itself and so did not have up to date equipment!

But of greater concern to me is not so much the antediluvian equipment but the antediluvian mentality which exists within the hierarchy of the ZBC. That mentality itself has not changed one iota since the RBC changed its name to the ZBC. The RBC slavishly supported the Rhodesian Front as it dragged Rhodesia into war and mayhem, and the ZBC has done the same in the last 33 years. In doing so it bears a large portion of the blame for the calamitous times and situations we have been through. Its failure to inform the Zimbabwean public of the truth, its failure to inform the public of the variety of policy options, its failure to inform the public of the variety of leadership options and its complicity in the cover up of genocide, massive corruption and abuse of power in the last 33 years has contributed to Zimbabwe still having a Government it does not deserve.

So whilst I welcome the move to transform ZBC’s equipment from analogue to digital, until we have an equally digital transformation of its mindset and ethic, it will remain a moribund Stalinist institution which will continue to retard Zimbabwe’s development and transformation into a vibrant, democratic Nation. – David Coltart

The female librarian was courageous enough to tell Prof Moyo in the presence of her senior managers that the system of recording information on VHS was outdated.”

These two hilarious sentences appear in the Herald today. Whilst I also commend the librarian for “telling the truth”, what is astonishing is that it took her to reveal the truth, which is immediately obvious to anyone who visits the ZBC. You just have to spend 2 minutes in the foyer to see that it is more like a museum than a broadcasting studio – it literally is a cast back to the 1970s, in fact possibly even the 1960s, because the Rhodesian Front regime was subjected to sanctions itself and so did not have up to date equipment!

But of greater concern to me is not so much the antediluvian equipment but the antediluvian mentality which exists within the hierarchy of the ZBC. That mentality itself has not changed one iota since the RBC changed its name to the ZBC. The RBC slavishly supported the Rhodesian Front as it dragged Rhodesia into war and mayhem, and the ZBC has done the same in the last 33 years. In doing so it bears a large portion of the blame for the calamitous times and situations we have been through. Its failure to inform the Zimbabwean public of the truth, its failure to inform the public of the variety of policy options, its failure to inform the public of the variety of leadership options and its complicity in the cover up of genocide, massive corruption and abuse of power in the last 33 years has contributed to Zimbabwe still having a Government it does not deserve.

So whilst I welcome the move to transform ZBC’s equipment from analogue to digital, until we have a equally digital transformation of its mindset and ethic it will remain a moribund Stalinist institution which will continue to retard Zimbabwe’s development and transformation into a vibrant, democratic Nation.

http://www.herald.co.zw/zbc-urged-to-pay-workers-salaries/

Southern Eye

By Blessed Mhlanga

29 October 2013

KWEKWE mayor Matenda Madzoke has turned down an offer by the local authority to buy him a new 4×4 Toyota D Tec at a time service delivery has almost collapsed.

Councillor Weston Masiya said the previous council led by Shadreck Tobaiwa had passed a resolution to purchase the mayoral vehicle for $68 000 with part of the deposit having already been
paid.

“We had passed that resolution to purchase the car and up to the time we left office the vehicle had not been bought, but a deposit of $38 000 was paid. We are supposed to pay another $16 000 before taking delivery of the car,” he said.

Madzoke has since instructed council to use the $38 000 already paid by council to acquire a refuse removal tractor or truck.

“I’m not going to be driving a brand new expensive vehicle on roads with potholes which are littered with heaps of uncollected refuse and call myself a mayor,” he said.

“I was put into office to ensure service delivery and that is going to be my first priority.”

Masiya confirmed Madzoke had declined the offer of the vehicle at a time council was struggling to meet its wage bill on time.

“He was very clear that service delivery should come first and I fully support him. Being a mayor means prioritising what is important for the city,” he said.

In 2012, council tabled a capital budget which would have seen it acquire five top-of-the-range 4x4s for its top management and mayor for a whopping $450 000.

The budget triggered a war between residents and the local authority which saw Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo being invited to investigate allegations of corruption.

Former Education minister David Coltart is another prominent politician who refused a luxury government vehicle as part of his perks.

Southern Eye

By Mthandazo Nyoni

28 October 2013

Matabeleland-based political analysts say Zimbabwe can only positively celebrate peace if the government publicly addresses gross human rights abuses perpetrated on ordinary citizens the Gukurahundi atrocities, Operation Murambatsvina and political violence that marred the 2008 general elections.

Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world to commemorate International Peace Day last Friday. This year’s commemorations were under the theme “Education for Peace”.

The day was marked three months after Zimbabwe held elections which were characterised by allegations of widespread vote-rigging and voter disenfranchisement.

Activist Dumisani Nkomo said peace would never be celebrated in this country in the absence of justice.

“There should be a way of communicating atrocities which were a gross human rights abuse,” he said.

“We cannot celebrate peace when there is no justice. People should be allowed to publicly talk about issues of violence. This is not a sign of a mutiny,” he added.

His sentiments were echoed by former Education minister David Coltart who said there was need for the government to tell people what happened during the disturbances.

“There should be acknowledgement of the things which happened,” Coltart said.

“There is need also to find out who the victims were and be apologetic about what really transpired.”

The International Peace Day comes at a time the world continues to experience rampant human rights violations from a diverse range of factors, including politics, racism, oppression, war, poverty, disease, corruption and autocratic governance.

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.”