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!

New Zimbabwe

By New Zimbabwe Reporter

10 September 2013

TEACHERS’ unions say delays in appointing a cabinet by President Robert Mugabe has led to paralysis in the education sector after schools opened last week without enough teachers.

Unions are angry with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) whose directives to provincial education officers on temporary teacher recruitment have caused confusion countrywide.

And the teachers’ representatives say without a minister in charge following the dissolution of government on August 22 when President Mugabe was inaugurated, they have found it increasingly difficult to get clarity.

Raymond Majongwe, the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary general, said: “It is worrying that some of these instructions are done in a mysterious manner because we don’t know who is giving them.

The CSC is a creation of the country’s new constitution adopted in May, and is a successor organisation to the Public Service Commission (PSC) which was responsible for the employment of public sector workers.

Said Majongwe: “This scenario [absence of a minister] has created challenges because we now have areas that still do not have teachers. Remote areas like Binga and Jotsholo are having problems yet there were people who were recruited there.

“We have not found any joy since the CSC took over and we’re not clear as to who is implementing directives issued from there. Schools have not even been given a circular but we just see things happening without clarity.”

The CSC issued a directive last month freezing all new public sector appointments – in the process disempowering provincial education officers from recruiting temporary teachers.

A second directive specifically for the education sector said priority should be given to college and university graduates with teaching and non-teaching diplomas and degrees, retired personnel and returning teachers aged below 50. O’ and A Level holders came last.

Zimbabwe Teachers’ Union (ZIMTA) CEO Sifiso Ndlovu said: “Generally, there is a blackout in communication regarding this issue. We are getting lots of concerns but the commission has not communicated anything to anyone since it took over.

“It seems the CSC is not in tune with the modern developments on the importance of communicating with stakeholders. We expect them to brief stakeholders on what is happening since they took over but they have not done anything. We feel this is a display of arrogance.

“They should have engaged all the concerned people but it seems they do not want that. If this is how they would conduct themselves then that is a false start.”

Mugabe was expected to name a Cabinet last week but he has kept the nation waiting just 10- days short of a month since he was sworn in for a new five-year term.

David Coltart is the outgoing Education Minister.

New Zimbabwe

By New Zimbabwe Reporter

10 September 2013

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe named a new cabinet on Tuesday after his re-election in July, handing the key finance ministry to a combative political lieutenant with little experience in running a treasury.

In a surprise line-up, Mugabe also appointed two inexperienced officials to head the mining and empowerment portfolios, both at the heart of a push to increase black ownership of the economy by forcing foreign firms to cede majority stakes to locals.

“The cabinet has been reduced from 33 to 26 with 24 ministries,” chief secretary to the cabinet Misheck Sibanda told journalists.

The cabinet retains members of the old guard of Mugabe’s Zanu PF party including those who have served in government since independence in 1980.

The appointments came more than a month after elections on July 31, which ended a shaky power sharing government formed by Mugabe and rival Morgan Tsvangirai four years ago.

Former justice minister Patrick Chinamasa, a lawyer, was named finance minister to succeed Tendai Biti from former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) party.

The new treasury chief’s biggest challenge will be to try to mobilise foreign assistance, despite the western sanctions, for a government which spends 70 percent of its budget on civil servants’ wages.

Long-time defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa – who with vice president Joice Mujuru is a leading candidate to succeed Mugabe as Zanu PF leader – replaced Chinamasa at the justice ministry while former state security minister Sydney Sekeramayi took over defence.

In other key appointments, the veteran leader shifted Saviour Kasukuwere away from the indigenisation portfolio replacing him with former environment minister Francis Nhema while the mines ministry goes to Walter Chidhakwa who takes over from Obert Mpofu.

Jonathan Moyo also returned to a renamed media and broadcasting services ministry despite his defeat in the July elections and earlier strained relationship with the party hierarchy.

The response to the announcement was mixed with analysts saying the impact of individual personalities on policy or the pace of implementation will be limited in a government tightly controlled by Mugabe and Zanu PF party.

Opposition politician and former sports minister David Coltart said some Zanu PF hardliners appeared to have been demoted and welcomed the news.

But economist Eric Bloc said the new government would be “a disaster” if appointments made public so far were anything to go by.

“It’s a disaster,” Bloc said. “None of those announced so far are qualified for the posts. President Mugabe is trying to unite his party without considering the best interests of the country and I am pessimistic about the future.”

Another economic commentator Tony Hawkins, added: “The demotion of Kasukuwere and appointment of Chidhakwa as minister for mines will be seen by the mining industry as positive.

“Both Chidhakwa, a former official in the Zimbabwe Investment Authority, and Nhema are thought likely to take a softer line on indigenisation than their predecessors.

Government officials hope the US and the EU will abolish the remaining “targeted sanctions” against prominent Mugabe aides and state-owned businesses, with Belgium already calling for this in respect of state-owned diamond mining companies.

The World Bank is also keen to see the sanctions go so it can press ahead with an urgently needed debt relief programme for the country. An IMF team is due to visit the country next month.

July’s elections extended Mugabe’s 33-year rule by another five years but long-time rival Tsvangirai rejected the elections as “a sham” and “a massive fraud.”

And, pointing to multiple flaws in the July 31 vote cited by domestic observers, Western governments – especially the United States – have questioned the credibility of the outcome and are considering whether to prolong sanctions against Mugabe.

But the veteran leader has drawn comfort from African observers who endorsed the vote as largely free and orderly. Western observers were barred and Mugabe has told critics to “go hang,” arguing he won fairly.

The Telegraph

By Peta Thornycroft and Aislinn Laing

10 September 2013

Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s president recently elected to serve a seventh term amid allegations of massive vote rigging, has announced a new cabinet made up of hardliners from his Zanu PF party.

Cricket Country

By Sarang Bhalerao 

7 September 2013

Kevin Curran, born on September 7, 1959, was one of Zimbabwe’s premier all-rounders. He played only 11 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) before plying his trade in the English county circuit where he carved a niche for himself with consistent performances. After retiring from the game, Curran coached Namibia and Zimbabwe. In 2012, at 53, he died after collapsing while jogging. Sarang Bhalerao tells you more about blond haired Curran.

When you hear the name Kevin Curran you know him as a Zimbabwean coach, you know him as an overseas professional who served Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire and you know him for his pivotal role in trouncing the proverbial “Goliath” on June 9, 1983.

Sport becomes an interesting spectacle when Goliath is trounced. The Zimbabwean folklore has reserved a special chapter for their sensational, yet unexpected, win over Australia in the first game of the 1983 Prudential World Cup in Nottingham. A certain Duncan Fletcher was the chief architect of the win — scoring 69 and taking four wickets. But the supporting act was equally important and Curran played that role to perfection.

At 94 for five, Zimbabwe were in serious danger of finishing at a below par total. But Fletcher-Curran stand of 70 gave Zimbabwean innings an air of respectability. Curran’s 46-ball 27 was a vital innings that helped Zimbabwe stabilise the innings. Zimbabwe set Australia 240 runs to win.

In reply, Australia finished on 226 for seven. Curran picked up the vital wicket of Allan Border which triggered panic as Australia still needed 72 runs. The win is one of the most cherished moments in the annals of Zimbabwe cricket history.

His best bowling analysis of three for 65 came in the losing cause against India at Tunbridge Wells. Opening the bowling, Curran got Kris Srikkanth and Sandeep Patil out cheaply. But little did Zimbabwe realise the Haryana Hurricane’s power-hitting was to hurt them. Curran suffered at the hands of Kapil Dev who went on to score 175 not out.

Chasing a challenging 267 to win, Zimbabwean run-chase was powered by Curran who scored 73. The game was not in the India’s grasp until Curran got out — the ninth wicket to fall. This was the best batting performance by Curran in his 11 match One-Day International (ODI) career. Talking of Curran his former Zimbabwean captain Fletcher said in Wisden Obituary: “Kevin always genuinely believed that any difficult situation was a challenge to be overcome.”

It was very difficult to keep Curran out of action. He was always in the game either with the ball, bat and his fielding was a big positive.

In the next World Cup in 1987, Curran’s performances were disappointing. He failed to make a substantial difference in the final analysis of the games and hardly had any impact. The end of the World Cup also marked his end of his international career. In the 11 ODI games, he scored 287 runs at an average of 26.09 and picked up nine wickets at 44.22 runs per wicket.

Curran embarked upon a memorable county journey in the English county cricket where he became one of the most efficient overseas performers. He had an Irish passport as his paternal grandfather shifted to the then Rhodesia in 1902.

Curran represented Gloucestershire since 1985 and was one of the key members of the side. In his debut season he picked up 52 wickets and helped his county jump to the third position from the last place. His partners-in-crime for the county were David Lawrence and Courtney Walsh. Wisden termed this attack as “the most formidable the county had ever developed.”

At times Curran got a bit fired up but all in the heat of the moment. There was no malice. There were theatrics which is a trait not uncommon in fast bowlers. He was a vital cog in Gloucestershire’s scheme-of-things. But at the end of 1990, the club didn’t renew his contract. According to the senior coach Eddie Barlow, Curran’s departure was “in best interest of the club.”

Curran’s contribution for Gloucestershire was outstanding. He went past the 1,000 run-mark on four successive occasions. In 1988 he picked up 65 wickets and in his final tryst with the club he got 60 scalps.

After the stint with Gloucestershire, Curran signed for Northamptonshire. He was immediately welcomed by their captain and English international Allan Lamb. Curran would constantly ask Lamb to give him a bowl or ask for the No 3 slot. His proactiveness impressed Lamb who said and was quoted by Wisden Obituary: “He always felt he was better than anybody else, and I liked that.”

In 1992, Zimbabwe got the Test status and Curran had an option of representing his country but he chose not to go for that option and instead waited for the 10-year qualification to be an English citizen. He served his county and not the country.

In 1993, Curran picked up 67 wickets at an average of almost 19. In 1997 he was made the captain of the team but the team failed to click under him. He also represented Boland (1988) and Natal (1993 to 1997). In 1999, he retired from the game. His First-Class record was impressive: 15,470 runs In 324 games at an average of about 37, including 25 tons. He picked up 605 scalps at 27-runs per wicket.

Life after retirement

Curran was still associated with the game albeit as a coach. He took the coaching reigns of Namibia after being an assistant coach of Zimbabwean team since 1999. In 2004 he coached the CFX Zimbabwe academy side in Harare.

A lot of senior cricketers left the country during Robert Mugabe’s regime. As a result, Curran was coaching a bunch of young tyros.

He took charge of the national team replacing Phil Simmons in 2005. The players were disappointed with the sacking of Simmons by the Zimbabwe cricket board. When Curran came in, he was allegedly too close to the board. Several players were angry because of his interference when it came to persuading players to sign the controversial contracts that had some clauses which were unacceptable to the players.

“The feeling among the players is that he will use them to keep his position. They don’t feel he has the same approach to them as Simmons did. Kevin sees the players as a product while Phil used to see them as individuals,” said an unknown source to ESPNCricinfo.

The rift between players and Zimbabwe Cricket officials widened. Ahead of the ODI series against Kenya the players were vociferous about their discontent with the board officials.

In an interview with the Zimbabwe Independent, Curran said the rift was because of his disciplinarian approach. “Where that comes across is that I have strong work ethics, and there are players who did not like that,” he said. “The likes of Duncan Fletcher are like that. We have to do it the way the best cricket nations in the world do it. If any of the players do not want to put up with these ethics, there is no place for them in Zimbabwe cricket.”

In 2006, Simmons said that some of the Zimbabwe players were unhappy under Curran’s regime. To this Curran countered saying that it was a case of “sour grapes.”

“Whilst I will reserve my right to follow the legal route on the actionable statements, I will not enter a public slanging match with Simmons. It is regrettable that he has decided to go public with what he was allegedly told. I would respectfully suggest that if he intends to pursue his case with his former employer he should do so without involving me,” said Curran to ESPNCricinfo.

In 2006 Zimbabwe lost their Test status courtesy of disappointing performances. In December 2006, a home series loss to Bangladesh infuriated the officials.

Zimbabwe were knocked out of the first round of the 2007 World Cup and under Curran they had lost 30 of the 40 ODIs played. After the exit from the competition, Curran proposed the plan to introduce specialist coaches as most of the other sides did. The nation’s confidence on the cricket team was at a nadir and so coach Curran was sacked. Zimbabwe lost 3-0 to South Africa at home.

On August 27, Robin Brown replaced Curran as the new Zimbabwe coach.

In 2011, Curran was appointed as the selector of the Zimbabwe national team. Curran was by that time coaching Mashonaland Eagles and was playing an active role in running the Interfin Cricket Academy in Harare.

In 2012, Curran died early morning in Mutare while jogging. “We are still in shock, Kevin was the epitome of health and we have yet to make sense of this tragic loss,” Zimbabwe Cricket’s managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa said in a press conference.

“KC had put his heart and soul into developing our franchise and had great plans for our high performance gym and other facilities… his passing will leave a huge void at Mash Eagles and I feel that I have not only lost a key business ally but a friend as well.”

Curran’s teammate Andy Traicos was shocked to learn about the former’s death. He was quoted saying byESPNCricinfo: “The most shocking thing is, he (Curran) was incredibly fit. He was a fitness fanatic, he used to be in the gym everyday… He and Malcolm Jarvis ran a gymnasium in Harare and Kevin was there every day, did everything from weights to aerobics. And he ran a lot. He was very, very competitive and played rugby, tennis and golf. He was a naturally talented guy.”

Waller talked to ESPNCricinfo about Curran’s competitive spirit. He said, “He had played in a regular 4-ball (golf) at Rusape Country Club, the area where he and folks once farmed. Him and his mate could never win this one particular hole versus the two elderly gents. It was a straight par 4, but over a slight rise with the green out of sight. The two old blokes hit it straight over the rise and the ball always rolled down the hill on the hard fairways close to the green. The day before one encounter he got some of the labourers from the farm, dug a bunker in front of the green without permission from the green-keeper or anyone. The two old folks were horrified to see their balls in the bunkers after their normal straight drives. Kev and his mate won the hole for the first time.”

Zimbabwe sports minister David Coltart said: “I fondly remember the chats we had recently about the future of cricket in Zimbabwe. He had such a passion for the game and Zimbabwe. He stuck to our beloved nation through its worst years and was committed to doing what he could to restore pride to Zimbabwe cricket. He will be sorely missed.”

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan wrote: “Thoughts are with his close family. A wonderful cricketer who would have flourished in the modern era of T20.”

Curran may well have excelled in the shortest format of the game. He never played the longer version of the game for his side. He also got out pretty early in the innings called “life”. Zimbabwe cricket dearly misses Curran even today.