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• Our great Zimbabwe cricket team flies into New Zealand today and goes with our very best wishes. #
• England 46 for 5 with Mohammed Hafeez and Saeed Ajmaal doing far more damage to England than did against Zimbabwe. Zim cricket on the up! #
• Well, well England succumb to Pakistan at cricket within 3 days whereas Zimbabwe fought them hard into the 5th day; time for Eng to play Zim #
• Congratulations to ZIMSEC Board & staff for getting A level exam results out on time – can be collected at all schools countrywide on Monday #
• England agonising over loss to Pakistan – they should take some tips from Zim's Mawoyo who had the measure of Ajmal – http://t.co/pd5UZV1s #
• #Celtic 12 wins in a row and 5 points clear of the Scottish Premier league – what a team to support..aside from Highlanders that is! #
• Feeling sad that Zimbabwe is not playing in #AFCON – great challenge to sort out Zimbabwe football but we must do it – we got so much talent #
• Zimbabwe 328 for 9 at close of day 2 – a 56 run advantage over a strong NZ XI – good stuff lads! Chakabva on 87 not out. #

allAfrica.com

By Brooks Marmon

15 January 2012

The recent ascension of Guy Scott to the vice-presidency of Zambia has been viewed with great interest by the country’s neighbors as well as Western media.

Dr. Scott was born in what was then the British colony of Northern Rhodesia in 1944 to settler parents and recent pieces for the BBC and The Guardian have suggested that his appointment is a significant milestone for the development of a post-colonial non-racial order in Africa. Soon after assuming Zambia’s second highest office, Scott announced that his election reflected a process of “Caribbeanization” in Zambia.

The racial antics of Julius Malema (the former youth leader of South Africa’s governing party) aside, the African nation that is most in dire need of ‘Carribeanization’ is undoubtedly Zimbabwe (both Namibia and Kenya have European settler populations that are remnants of the colonial era but they are relatively stable and not particularly active politically). Unsurprisingly, both the independent and state press in Zimbabwe have devoted space to Scott’s appointment. The installation of a white in Zambia’s second highest position begs two significant questions: (1) will there be a shift in Zambia’s Zimbabwe policy and (2) will it have any consequences for European participation in Zimbabwe’s political process?   »Click here to continue reading

• Great u tube on Ngoni Makusha – Zimbabwe's star athlete http://t.co/7pROtkwl #
• Met William Hague and Prince Andrew last night at Lancaster House reception and discussed need for UK to assist Zim's GPA, flawed as it is #
• Attending #Apple summit for education in London – fascinating educational apps – some schools have a iPad per child – much work to be done #
• India 161 all out today against substantially the same Australian attack that Zimbabwe A did so well against when Aus A toured in winter #
• Warner hits a 100 in 69 balls off against India – of course he too played for Australia A against Zimbabwe A during the winter of 2011 #
• Aus thrash India. But it was Aus A members who played against Zim A who did all damage- Warner 180, Hilf, Sidd & Starc got 18 of 20 wickets! #

NewsDay

12 January 2012

A Bulawayo man yesterday filed a High Court application seeking an order barring Masiyephambili Junior School from stopping his dreadlocked son from attending Grade 0 classes.

Khumbulani Dube who is representing his four-year -old son, Mbalenhle Dube, filed an urgent chamber application yesterday afternoon after the headmaster of the school denied his son access to classes because he was wearing dreadlocks.

Education minister, David Coltart, Masiyephambili Junior School and the school’s headmaster are respondents.

Dube, through Lizwe Jamela of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, argued his family practices Rastafarian religion and keeping long hair was a manifestation of their religious beliefs.

“I raised this issue before school opening with the administration staff and they were reluctant to deal with the matter and advised me that I should rather have a word with 3rd respondent (headmaster) on the opening day.

“I believe my son’s long hair is not indiscipline or disobedience to the school as it is not related to his conduct,” he said.

Dube said he took his son to school on Tuesday and the headmaster advised him in no uncertain terms that his son was not going to be allowed in class if his hair was not cut.   »Click here to continue reading

The Herald

10 January 2012

Over the past 30 years the relationship between parents and the schools their children attend has undergone a long overdue revolution.

Parents are no longer, and must be no longer, passive payers of fees and limit their involvement to dropping their children off and picking them up.

Soon after independence, with the incredible growth of the school system following the needed political decision that all children should be given the opportunity to attend school for at least 11 years, it soon became obvious that even with the accompanying huge surge in the budget, the education ministry did not have nearly enough money.

So steps were taken to involve parents. School development associations were formed and State schools were permitted to charge levies over and above the fees. As the then minister said, the ministry would provide teachers and chalk and parents would pay for the rest.

The little left over in the budget after salaries would largely be allocated to rural schools where money was very scarce.   »Click here to continue reading

VOA

By Gibbs Dube

10 January 2012

Members of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe in Harare launched a sit-down labor action Tuesday on the first day of the new school term to enforce their demand for pay increases of more than 100 percent for the lowest paid instructors.

A VOA correspondent who visited primary and secondary schools in the capital reported that most teachers were not conducting lessons on the first day of 2012′s first term.

But some headmasters at schools in Bulawayo, in Matabeleland North, and Gweru, in Midlands province, said teachers were conducting lessons as usual.

The Progressive Teachers Union is demanding a salary of US$540 a month for junior teachers who are now receiving just US$253 monthly.

PTUZ Vice President Nokuthala Hlabangana said her union called the strike in spite of a meeting that has been set for Wednesday between government negotiators and representatives of civil servants.

Hlabangana said her members will continue on strike until salaries rise. “The government has no choice at all because we need better salaries,” she said.

Sifiso Ndlovu, chief executive of the Zimbabwe Teachers Association, said his members have ignored the PTUZ call for a sit-down strike.   »Click here to continue reading

The Zimbabwean

10 January 2012

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe joins the Tonga speaking people in celebrating the official recognition of their mother tongue- Tonga through its public testing at Grade 7 level by the Ministry of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture in 2011. At the same time, CCJPZ recognises the efforts made by its sister organisation, Silveira House, for initiating advocacy and lobby processes culminating to this success.

Language is a very important tool for communication and the preservation of own culture. The history of any people is passed on through its language and defines the identity, origin and aspirations of its speakers. To deny or look down upon any people’s language is a denial of their right to identity and existence. As said by one traditional leader ‘a people without a language are like a tree without roots’. The Tonga language, like any other Zimbabwe local languages deserves such recognition as a way of fostering national unity, cohesion and respect for diversity.   »Click here to continue reading

NewZimbabwe.com

9 January 2012

The main teachers unions appeared divided over a call to go on strike when schools re-open on Tuesday while education minister, David Coltart warned any job action could cripple the country’s education sector.

Junior teachers currently earn about $253 a month and unions are demanding parity with the country’s poverty line which is estimated at currently pegged at $540 a month for a family of six.

But talks with the government have made little head-way and some of the unions said their members would not report for work on Tuesday.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou said his members would not report for work the rival Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) said it would await the outcome of talks scheduled for Wednesday.

“We hope that our colleagues in ZIMTA will realize that the best way forward is industrial action because the language that our government understands is industrial action and that they will be joining us on Wednesday,” Zhou said.

However, ZIMTA President Tendai Chikowore, who also chairs the Apex Council which negotiates with the government on behalf of civil servants, said it would be counterproductive for teachers to go on strike while they are still negotiating with the government.   »Click here to continue reading

Daily News

By Lloyd Mbiba

9 January 2012

Harare - Education minister David Coltart says he cannot stop teachers from joining a looming civil servants’ strike, warning that public schools that open tomorrow face a return to collapse because of government’s failure to pay adequate salaries.

Civil servants, of which close to half are teachers, say they will take “drastic” action if government does not give a firm commitment to raise salaries when the parties meet on Wednesday.

Teachers’ unions have voiced their support for the demand for more pay, leaving government schools to open amid uncertainty.

Reacting to threats of a strike by teachers ahead of schools opening tomorrow, Coltart said he had no power to stop the action since his ministry was not the teachers’ employer.

Teachers, like other civil servants, are employed by the Public Service Commission, which falls under the ministry of Public Service.

The Apex Council, which is the umbrella representation body for civil servants, last week appeared determined to take action if government again refuses to increase salaries.

Tendai Chikowore, leader of the council, said government workers were now fed up with the parent lack of interest in improving their livelihoods. Chikowore is also the president of the Zimbabwe Teachers Association.   »Click here to continue reading

The Herald

By Felex Share

9 January 2012

Government has finished working on new education regulations that will ensure compliance with existing procedures in raising fees or levies in schools.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said the regulations would improve the country’s education system.

He said in coming up with the regulations, the ministry was governed by the country’s Education Act.

“The new regulations will be tabled in Cabinet to the committee on legislation when it resumes sitting in a few week’s time.

“We expect them to be enforced once all the necessary procedures are complete and we hope it will be in the shortest possible time,” he said.

Minister Coltart said the new regulations would deal with schools that disrespect Government and court decisions.

“Situations of schools that defy Government directives are rampant and we are tightening the grip on those unruly schools.

“For example, some milk parents by increasing school fees willy-nilly. There are laid down rules by many had a tendency of ignoring those rules,” he said.   »Click here to continue reading