Zimbabwe’s MDC ministers accept official Mercedes cars

The Times By Jan Raath 3 April 2009 All but one of Zimbabwe’s ministers from the former opposition has accepted an official Mercedes Benz. When they were in opposition MDC politicians condemned the profligacy of Mr Mugabe’s Mercedes Benz-mobilised Zanu(PF) party. Last September, when the agreement to form a power-sharing Government was signed, senior MDC

Ministers get Mercs whilst Nation starves

ZimEye.org April 2, 2009 Harare (ZimEye) – The cash-strapped government has given 39 ministers poshy cars – Mercedes Benz at a time the country is facing a deepening economic crisis. The Ministers received the cars last month and are enjoying the luxuries associated with driving the Mercedes Benz at the expense of ordinary Zimbabweans who

Ministry needs US$90m for textbooks

31 March 2009 Sunday News AFTER making sure that the schools stay open and last year’s public examinations results are released, the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture will turn to the restocking of schools with textbooks, the minister, Senator David Coltart, has said. Speaking at a function to award prizes to pupils who

The day the rainbow fell on the floor

Pambazuka News By Prespone Matawira (2009-03-26) http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/zimnotes/55141 Prespone Matawira talks about the challenges facing David Coltart, Zimbabwe’s new minister of education, sports, arts and culture, as he devises a strategy to re-build the education system in an economy where many parents can no longer afford to pay the fees required to cover the cost of

Villains and Victims

New York Times Editorial 29 March 2009 Zimbabwe’s new power-sharing government isn’t ideal. Robert Mugabe remains president, despite losing last year’s election. His loyalists remain in charge of the army, the Justice Ministry and other key posts that allow them to arrest and intimidate opponents. Yet respected and competent former opposition leaders now run important

Zimbabwe: Is the basket case finally on the mend?

The Independent on Sunday (UK), 29 March 2009 By Daniel Howden Shops are well-stocked; rubbish is being collected; and teachers are back at work. But Mugabe is still in power and the land thefts continue Behind the high bougainvillea hedges of Harare’s more affluent suburbs, there are the first murmurings of a possible improvement in

Governnent Directive on ‘A’ level Students Slammed

The Standard 29 March 2009 THE government’s directive to schools to enrol ‘A’ Level students based on last year’s mid-year examinations will backfire as most students did not write any tests because of the prolonged strike by teachers, educationists have warned. They said the move, sanctioned by Education Minister David Coltart, could compromise Zimbabwe’s already

Zimbabwe’s new kind of politics

The Zimbabwe Telegraph By DEWA MAVHINGA Published: Saturday, March 28, 2009 I have had a small privilege of living in, and closely observing the politics of a number of countries outside Zimbabwe. It is that exposure that brings me to my present reflections on Zimbabwean politics. Having been born and bred in Zimbabwe, where politicians

Irked by the Merc Perk

Sokwanele 27 March 2009 What would you have done? Taken the merc, or said ‘no thank you’…? I hope, faced with the decision that all our new Ministers were faced with – to accept the Mercedes Benz which comes as a ministerial perk or not – that I would have refused. Senator David Coltart declined

O and A level results due next month

The Chronicle Chronicle Reporter 27 March 2009 THE Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) 2008 Ordinary and Advanced Level results will be released next month, the Minister of Education, Arts, Sport and Culture, Senator David Coltart, said yesterday. Speaking in a telephone interview from Harare, Minister Coltart said marking of the 2008 final examinations was almost