TEACHERS threatening to strike over unfulfilled pay promises have been told that civil servants are likely to get proper salaries when Finance Minister Tendai Biti presents the mid-term fiscal policy on July 16.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart told representatives of teachers at a meeting on Wednes-day that the Government was working to address their salaries and working conditions and those of other civil servants.

The announcement was expected in the mid-term fiscal policy review.

In an interview, Minister Coltart said he had received notices from teachers unions’, among them the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association and Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, threatening to go on strike if the Government does not start paying them salaries.

At the moment, all civil servants are getting a US$100 monthly allowance.

“We told them that Government was aware of their concerns and it realises that the US$100 allowance teachers are getting was not adequate and did not recognise their professional qualifications.

“Finance Minister Tendai Biti is running around to secure money to pay their salaries as well as those of other civil servants. I am hopeful that we will be able to address their concerns and those of other civil servants but it will depend on the amount of money coming into the fiscus,” Minister Coltart said.

But Zimta yesterday expressed frustration over unfulfilled pay promises and said it had twice restrained its members from striking but was now being left with no option.

“The National Executive Committee met on 26-27 June 2009 in Harare to deliberate, among other issues, concerns from members about the remuneration levels.

“The general membership was concerned that the review of the educators’ remuneration was long overdue, the much talked about roadmap by the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture was nothing but a hoax, and diversionary tactic, the donor agencies appeal process was indefinite and undependable, and the SDA/SDC school-based incentives were not a substitute to educators’ salary right.

“The sum of the concerns was that educators remained prisoners of hope as no real progress has been realised,” Zimta said in a statement.

Minister Biti’s mid-term fiscal policy on July 16 comes amid reports that revenue from taxes has risen substantially. Last month Zimbabwe Revenue Authority Commissioner-General Mr Gershom Pasi said Zimra had collected US$100 million in taxes and hoped the figure would keep rising.

Minister Coltart said at the moment Government had limited ability but he was very optimistic that teachers and all civil servants’ concerns would be addressed soon since there were indications that the economy was stabilising.

“My appeal to teachers is that they should recognise we are working under difficult circumstances to seek funds for their salaries so they should bear with Government during these hard times.

“When we get revenue into Government coffers I am sure we will be able to deal with their salary concerns,” he said.

Last week, a group of more than 70 teachers marched in Harare and presented a petition to Minister Coltart demanding an urgent address of their working conditions and salaries.

Minister Coltart has said the country’s education sector requires at least US$100 million to re-equip schools with textbooks and pay teachers’ sala- ries.

In May, Government held a crisis meeting with teachers’ unions over the salary issue after they had decided not to report for work when the second term began.

The Government, through the United Nations, has since sent an appeal to western donors and western governments for financial aid to revive the country’s education system.

THE 2008 Grade Seven results are finally out, the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council has announced.

Zimsec director Mr Happy Ndanga yesterday said the results were being sent to all regional offices and would be available to schools from today.

School heads should liaise with their Zimsec regional managers.

Grade Seven results are traditionally released between the end of November and the first week of December, but the examinations council was faced with numerous problems resulting in the late release of the results.

Last year’s Grade Seven candidates are already attending Form One classes after they were admitted on the basis of their mid-year examinations.

“The delayed June Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations will commence on Monday, as previously announ-ced by the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart.

“From July 3 onwards, question papers and other related materials will be available from Zimsec regional offices or as per information from Zimsec regional managers.

“Heads and centre supervisors are advised to liaise with their Zimsec managers on this matter,” he said.

On November O and A Level examination fees, Mr Ndanga said Zimsec was awaiting information adding that the council would advise on dates and other logistics for these examinations.

A Level results were only released in May with O level results being released on June 5.

Results of all levels were delayed after markers downed tools over a payment dispute.

PARENTS of pupils who fail to pay school fees and levies could lose household property and other valuables after schools in the capital set debt collectors on them to compel payments.
Many Harare parents woke up last week to scary threats from debt collectors after various schools engaged their services.

The parents were served with letters from debt collectors after some failed to pay fees and levies.
One letter from a debt collector to a parent reads: “Your account has been handed over to us for collection. An amount of US$26 in respect of levy/fees is now overdue and payable.

“In the circumstances, we have been instructed to demand as we hereby do, payment of the sum of US$26 at our offices within 48 HOURS, failing which we will instruct the messenger of court to attach and sell your property without further notice.”

A Mabvuku parent told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that they were afraid of having their property and valuables attached after schools ordered parents to top-up fees and demanded higher levies.

But Education minister David Coltart this week said admission fees government announced in May for the second term of the schooling year were enough while schools and parents needed to agree on levies.
The fees were set at US$10 for secondary schools and US$5 for primary. Rural schools were exempted from charging fees.

He said: “The admission fees we announced were deemed as enough this term. What school authorities then need to do is to determine levies that should be collectively agreed to by parents in a meeting.”

Coltart emphasised the need for school authorities to consult with parents in coming up with amounts that should be paid as levies. But schools have engaged debt collectors on parents who failed to pay levies.

A National Library and Documentation Service Council has been appointed with an audit on the current state of the country’s libraries its first task.

Harare lawyer Ms Nokuthula Moyo will chair the council. Announcing the appointments on Wednesday, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said the council would advise him on general matters pertaining to the administration of the National Library and Documentation Service Act.

“The functions of the council will be to promote the widespread enjoyment in Zimbabwe of publications of an educational, scientific, cultural, recreational and sporting value.

“The council will also ensure, maintain and develop a high standard of library facilities, operate a documentation facility and an inter-library loan facility and to train librarians and to ensure, maintain, coordinate and develop a high standard of librarianship,” he said. Minister Coltart said the term of office of the previous council expired in 2005 but no new appointments had been made since then.

Other members of the council are the dean of the Faculty of Communication and Information Science at the National University of Science and Technology Dr Lawton Hikwa, chartered accountant Mr Tapiwa Chizana and lawyer Ms M Rusere. Also appointed were Ms A Mafukare (director in the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture), Ms Jean Kanengoni (bookshop co-ordinator) and Ms Jean Mandewo (documentation officer). Mr Berry Mushonga (library director), Ms Eunice Pfende (programme officer), Mr Ronald Munatsi (principal librarian), Ms Ann Padmore (the director of Library and Information Services), Mr Roger Stringer, Ms Deborah Barron, Ms Cathrine Shadwell, Mr J Maenzanise and a librarian Mr C Mutomba complete the list.

Seven Zimbabwean schoolteachers were killed last year while 60 others were harassed and tortured by state security forces, according to a new report released Wednesday.
The reported authored by the Student Solidarity Trust (SST) said 85 student
activists were also last year abducted, arrested or assaulted by state security agents.
The SST report, which chronicles gross violation of students and teachers’
rights during political violence last year, indicates that information on the teachers’ deaths was sourced from the Progressive Teachers’ Union (PTUZ).
“The PTUZ recorded the death of seven of its members and the harassment,
intimidation and even torture of more than 60 others during the time,” the
SST said in the report entitled “State of the education sector in Zimbabwe
2008″.
Education Minister David Coltart was not immediately available for comment
on the SST report while it was not possible to get immediate confirmation
from the PTUZ on the information attributed to the union.
But the PTUZ, one of two unions that represent teachers in the country, has
in the past said several of its members were either brutally assaulted,
tortured or killed in political violence, with hundreds of others forced to
flee forced schools in rural areas where violence was worst.
Detailing some of the cases of victimisation of students the SST said that
on April 17, 2008 students from the National Universality of Science and
Technology and Great Zimbabwe University were arrested for protesting over
the delayed release of presidential results.”
“Political persecution of teachers and headmasters during the harmonised
election period led to the closure of most learning institutions. Between
March and June elections 2008, teachers were targeted in a wave of
state-sponsored torture and ill treatment directed at perceived supporters
of the (then opposition) MDC or because of their affiliation to the PTUZ.
“Teachers in rural areas were affected more with some being abducted,
killed, beaten up or having their homes and property destroyed. This led to
a great number of teachers fleeing their teaching posts for fear of
persecution,” added the 44-page report.
The SST said students’ right were also violated with “partisan” police
routinely and arbitrarily arresting and detaining students activists, adding
that in many cases activists were held in police custody without trial for
more than the 48 hours permitted by law.
Zimbabwe witnessed some of its worst ever political violence during the run
up to the June vote that was being held after President Robert Mugabe was
defeated by then opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in an earlier vote the
previous March. But the opposition leader failed to achieve the margin
required to take power and avoid a second round run-off vote.
Tsvangirai pulled out of the June ballot citing state-sponsored attacks
against his supporters and in the process, leaving Mugabe to win as sole
candidate.
But the election was universally condemned, with African countries that had
refrained from criticising Mugabe in the past also denouncing the
violence-marred election - a situation that forced Zimbabwean leader to open
negotiations to share power with Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, who heads
a smaller opposition party.

It is important to re-brand Zimbabwe through sport, David Coltart said last week when honouring long distance runner, Stephen Muzhingi. Muzhingi won the comrades Marathon in South Africa, last month.

“We are delighted with what you have achieved for the country and we are certainly proud of the achievement,” said Coltart. “I’m going to be watching next year’s race and hope you will break the record.”

The minister hopes to see Zimbabwean sports being revived through education to help rebuild the country’s buttered image on the international arena.

“It is important that we as the Government identify sporting icons as they can achieve a lot in building Zimbabwe’s image,” he said. “It also important to identify and nurture talent at an early stage — that’s why education is linked to sport. However, as the education system was deteriorating, it also affected sports and we will try and improve sport in schools.”

Almost two months after a potentially crippling teachers strike was averted, teachers once again on Thursday renewed their threat to down tools over low salaries.
In May, the Education Ministry managed to prevent a nationwide strike despite not being able to meet the wage demands laid out by the country’s educators. The Ministry instead managed to persuade teachers’ unions that they were doing everything they could to raise money for the education system, and as an incentive allowed the teachers’ own children to have free schooling.
At the time teachers’ unions, including the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA), acknowledged that their wage demands could not be met. They agreed to go along with the proposed ‘road map plan’ set out by Education Minister David Coltart that would eventually see a significant pay rise in the education system.
But patience is now appearing to wear out, with ZIMTA stating on Thursday that its members “will soon find it irresistible to embark on industrial action.” ZIMTA’s acting CEO Sifiso Ndlovu explained that the strike action “will be the last resort if current engagements with the Education Ministry fail to yield results this month.” He added that most teachers are willing to embark on a strike immediately out of desperation, but continued that they would wait until the end of the month to see what developments had been made by the government.
Many teachers across the country have already stopped working, apparently in an effort to find other jobs to supplement their meagre civil servants income. PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said last week that in areas such as Bikita, Mberengwa, Chivi, Buhera and Chipinge, teachers are no longer going to work.
“They are very disgruntled and we have been officially informed by our representatives in such districts that they have gone on strike,” explained Zhou in an interview.
Zhou continued that the teachers’ cause for not going to work is genuine and the government must be seen doing something positive now “if ever they want our education system to remain reputable.”

Meanwhile, the Public Service Association last month also issued a strike threat to the unity government over low civil servant pay. The US$100 allowance that is being paid out by the government is not nearly enough to cover the economic needs of a family, where a basic food basket costs an estimated US$500. According to a statement issued by the Public Service Association, the workers have decided to go on strike should the government fail to hike salaries or allowances this month.

Last week I took a job related visit to South Africa and Zimbabwe at the invitation of the German organization Friedrich Naumannstiftung für die Freiheit, which is affiliated with the political liberal FDP party, it is committed in spreading democracy and human rights throughout the world, and they are doing this excellently. During my visit to Zimbabwe it became clear that a great deal of work is still needed.
Zimbabwe is - on paper - one of the richest countries in Africa. Mother Nature has blessed the country with large, fertile agricultural areas, and a wealth of valuable minerals. In the ’80’s and the ’90’s this was gratefully and successfully used. With the agricultural and mining proceeds, Zimbabwe had a solid basis for decent economic growth. There was even an average annual economic growth of 5% during these decades. These figures are not bad, especially in comparison with other countries in the region of sub-Saharan Africa. This ´prosperity´ took place to a large extent under the current President Robert Mugabe.
However, from the year 2000, Zimbabwe collapsed fully under Mugabe’s. The dramatic decline started with the president’s largest land project. White farmers, who owned most of the land in Zimbabwe, were exiled. Their land and possessions were forcefully (and without any compensation) expropriated and given to black Zimbabweans who were close to Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party. Often, the expropriation was associated with violence and intimidation.
After 2000 the agricultural output plummeted, and the output of major crops such as tobacco, maize and soya halved or declined even more. There were severe food shortages throughout the country, and the price of food on the (black) market was going up consistently. This led to an unprecedented hyperinflation of the Zimbabwean dollar. In 2008, the annual inflation rate was estimated at several million percent. The paper on which the money was printed was worth more than the value it represented, and the economy came to a standstill. At this time Zimbabwe had an official unemployment rate of 80%.
With the appointment of the trade union leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the Zimbabweans got some hope. Tsvangirai, however, has not yet succeeded to prove that he is worth this hope. Draconian laws against freedom of expression and the media have not yet been addressed. He also seems - politically - to grow closer to Mugabe, and no longer behaves as his hard line opponent. His political friends in the Parliament seem to not have really engaged with their parliamentary work. In short: Tsvangirai still has much work to do, and has had a slow start.
In the recent weeks, the Prime Minister made a tour along the Western donor countries. Almost everywhere he has heard the same story: first show results, then the money will come. He came back to Zimbabwe virtually empty-handed.
Zimbabwe is for the West, one large dilemma. On one hand, funds will not be given if there is no assurance that it will be used for proper causes, and the West first wants to see the progress in the fields of freedom, democracy and human rights. Mind you, these reforms do not cost the bankrupt Zimbabwean government a penny. On the other hand, the new government, with a number of MDC ministers and a MDC Prime Minister, must have the opportunity to succeed. Otherwise we are back to square one; with survival artist Robert Mugabe.
I was a guest of the newly appointed Minister of Education, David Coltart. His ministry is a large building with at least twenty floors. When I visited, it had no running water, there were no toilets - not even for the minister - and in many cases there was no electricity. The bulk of the building was empty, because officials could not be paid, and because in recent years they were not needed anyway due to the fact that the previous ministers basically made no policy. Coltart is a man who clearly is on a mission. He wants to prevent a lost generation of Zimbabweans, a generation without education, and therefore an illiterate generation. He has no money to achieve this. Thus, no budget for school books nor even pens. He has set up a fund for this cause, but the interest and commitment from other countries is lacking. Coltart will be counteracted by supporters and members of Mugabe’s ZANU-PF. If he fails, this is a victory for “the bad guys”. As he has established: “I have been put here to fail.”
Do we want that a passionate minister to fail, because he does not have the 30 to 40 million, which he thinks necessary to save the education system in Zimbabwe? That is the real dilemma for the West.

MDC-T ministers boycotted yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, drawing a stinging rebuke from other members of the inclusive Government who saw the move as highly disrespectful and against the spirit of inclusivity.

The Cabinet session, which was brought forward to yesterday, however, went ahead and dealt with all matters on the agenda, Media, Information and Publicity Minister Webster Shamu said yesterday.

Sources said Deputy Prime Arthur Mutambara condemned the move by MDC-T during the Cabinet meeting, saying their action was unnecessary given that there were channels through which to air grievances or resolve sticking issues.

“While no official communication has as yet come from the MDC-T party, or to the Chairman of Cabinet His Excellency President Robert Mugabe, today’s session of Cabinet unanimously deplored the boycott — apparently the first in the history of the country — as disrespectful and contradicting the spirit of inclusivity and the remarkable progress made so far under the inclusive Government launched in February,” Minister Shamu said in a statement.

Noting the absence from the Cabinet meeting of Vice President Joice Mujuru and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, both of whom were on official Government business outside the country and only returned home in the afternoon, yesterday’s session emphasised that as the highest policy-making body recognised by the country’s Constitution, Cabinet deserved the utmost respect of all its members and needed to be shielded from the narrow agendas of individual political parties.

PM Tsvangirai requested from President Mugabe to spend an extra two days in South Africa — from where he connected home yesterday — to see his children.

Economic Planning and Investment Promotion Minister Elton Mangoma did not attend yesterday’s meeting because he is abroad on official Government business while Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart gave a written official apology for his absence.

Minister Shamu said Cabinet had noted, appreciated and supported as genuine and valid the Chairman’s (President Mugabe’s) decision to bring forward today’s sitting from the traditional Tuesday in order to accommodate the forthcoming African Union summit scheduled for Sirte, Libya, this week.

President Mugabe — who is the Head of State and Government and, therefore, chairs Cabinet — is scheduled to attend the summit alongside other African Heads of State and Government.

“Indeed, it (the meeting) appreciated that this was not the first time Cabinet days have been reworked to accommodate other pressing programmes and fixtures,” Minister Shamu said.

MDC-T, in a statement, said they were not happy with the reasons that had been given for bringing Cabinet sitting to Monday instead of the traditional Tuesday.

Addressing a Press conference yesterday, party vice president Thokozani Khupe said although the party remained committed to the GPA, it was their right to consider disengagement.

She claimed this week’s Cabinet meeting had been “unilaterally moved from Tuesday (today) to Monday (yesterday) to deny the recognition of the Prime Minister as chair of Cabinet when the President is away”.

However, The Herald was informed last night that when the President is away, Cabinet does not sit.

Yesterday was also not the first time that Cabinet had sat on a day other than Tuesday.

Three sittings back, it convened on a Wednesday and next week’s session will be held on Wednesday, according to Government officials.

THE public has responded overwhelmingly to the constitution-making process with some organisations already presenting their own drafts of the supreme law of the land for consideration, an official has said.

In an interview by telephone yesterday, the co-chairperson of the Parliamentary Select Committee steering the constitution- making process, Senator David Coltart, said Zimbabweans had responded well to the invitation by the committee to attend provincial consultative meetings meant to identify stakeholders to be called for the first stakeholders conference set for next month.

“In Harare and Bulawayo there was a huge turnout. What I’ve heard so far, is that the attendance was the same in other provinces although I can’t really confirm that because I have not received the official reports,” he said.

“What is clear though, is that there is a lot of interest and a wide range of organisations are keen to take part. The churches have met in Harare and have come up with a very detailed draft. The Bulawayo Legal Practitioners Association in conjunction with the Law Society (of Zimbabwe) have also given us their draft document,” he said.

Sen Coltart said women and children’s groups as well as other sectors of society also came out in large numbers so that they could be included in the process of crafting a new constitution for Zimbabwe to replace the Lancaster House Constitution which has been amended 19 times.

“People are very anxious about the process and they want to be heard,” he said.

The select committee has assured people during the provincial consultative meetings that the constitution would not be doctored, as people’s views would be taken seriously.

Addressing people who attended the Bulawayo provincial consultative meeting on Saturday, the co-chairperson of the committee, Mr Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana said the public would be involved in every step of the process and would get a chance to see the draft before being finalised.

He said each thematic group would keep three copies of their reports so as to ensure transparency until the draft was presented.

The select committee is made up of 25 Members of Parliament, nine from MDC-T, nine from Zanu-PF, three from MDC, three appointed by the Speaker of the House of Assembly and Senate President to represent special interest groups and one to represent chiefs.

According to article V1 of the Global Political Agreement, the role of the select committee is to facilitate the writing of a new constitution of Zimbabwe by the people of Zimbabwe for the people of Zimbabwe.

In Lupane, the issue of the Kariba Draft that was put together by Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations during the inter-party dialogue took centre stage at the Matabeleland North Provincial Consultative meeting on Saturday held at Mabhikwa Secondary School near Lupane Business Centre.
The meeting was attended by mostly representatives of various civil organisations in the province including churches and political parties as well as farmers, academics, professionals and traditional leaders.

Before the start of the meeting, members of Lupane Youth for Development distributed pamphlets demanding “a people-driven constitution”.

“No to Kariba Draft; Yes to devolution of power, shared power, recognition of minority groupings and proportional representations,” read the message on dozens of pamphlets distributed at the meeting.
In an interview after the meeting a representative of LYD, Mr Alfred Sihwa, said his organisation did not want the Kariba Draft to have a special place in the constitution-making process.

“All documents should be used as drafts. What we need is a framework to work on and nothing more,” he said.

Earlier during the meeting, one of the participants, Mrs Rhoda Ncube, asked why the Kariba Draft was being mentioned in the constitution-making process.

“Let us be clear here. Are we amending the Kariba Draft or making a new constitution,” she asked.
A woman from Tsholotsho who identified herself as Mrs Mlevu,also raised similar sentiments.
“I believe we are mature now. Why should we talk about the Kariba Draft?” she asked.

Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee who were at the meeting, Minister of State in Vice-President Joseph Msika’s Office, Flora Bhuka, Matabeleland North Governor, Sithokozile Mathuthu and MDC-T legislator, Mr Brian Tshuma were at pains to explain the connection between the constitution-making process under way and the Kariba Draft.

“Article Six of the Global Political Agreement acknowledges the Kariba Draft and by the way this is the section from which our select committee is derived. In addition to the draft there are other drafts. The Kariba Draft is one draft among many others,” said Mr Tshuma, who is also a lawyer.

President Mugabe is on record as saying that in line with the GPA, the Kariba Draft should be used as the reference point in this constitution-making process.

Governor Mathuthu, who is the leader of the five-member group from the select committee covering Matabeleland, urged participants not to lose sight of the “onerous responsibility” at hand by overplaying the Kariba Draft issue.

“The Kariba Draft is not a Constitution. It is not the Constitution. You can have views on the draft. It is not cast in stone. We are coming up with the supreme law of Zimbabwe. The Kariba Draft issue should not worry us. We are not amending the constitution but we are coming up with a new one,” she told participants.

Earlier Minister Bhuka had urged people of Matabeleland North not to be “left behind as the constitution-making train is taking off”.

She said the process of coming up with the blueprint was a lifetime opportunity that they should not miss.

“You all know that the Lancaster House Constitution we have was crafted during the war. It was a transitional arrangement from the war. We were still fighting, our children dying, Smith had his own pressing issues. That constitution did not capture our views and aspirations hence the 19 amendments that have been made on it so far.

“If that constitution were a pair of trousers you can imagine the amount of patchwork that would have been done on it. I do not think you would be proud of it and I bet you would want a new one, hence this exercise,” she said.

“Let us be clear that the National Constitutional Assembly Draft is not a Constitution. The draft produced by Senator David Coltart is not a constitution and the Kariba Draft is not a constitution. Let us find out about the contents of those drafts so that we contribute from an informed point of view.”
Minister Bhuka said each province would provide 500 delegates to the First Stakeholders Constitutional Conference to be held in Harare next month.

“We will also look at your proposal that you want equal delegates from each constituency or district in the province,” she said.

Minister Bhuka said “there will be no teaching as your representatives will be involved at every stage of this process” and the select committee was merely “facilitating or co-ordinating” the exercise.
Some participants were overruled as they wanted to raise issues of “content” on the constitution yet the select committee’s mandate at this stage was to look at issues of process.

Several Government officials from Matabeleland North led by the Provincial Administrator, Ms Latiso Dlamini attended Saturday’s meeting as well as most legislators from the province including the Minister of Small to Medium Enterprises, Sithembiso Nyoni.