The Herald

By Zecheaus Nemadire

18 May 2013

EAGLESVALE Senior School is hosting over 25 schools for the three-day Mark Manolios Hockey Festival which kicked off yesterday and runs until tomorrow. The festival features Under-19 boys’ teams from all over the country.

Schools from as far as Chiredzi, Bulawayo and Mutare will take part in this year’s festival at which top hockey playing schools will join the fun.

Festival director Hilton Zuze said the festival brings together both top and new hockey playing schools and it was meant to honour Mark Manolios, president of the Zimbabwe Hockey Association, who initiated the event over 30 years ago.

“This festival was named after our sponsor who is also the president of the Zimbabwe Hockey Association, Mark Manolios. He has been instrumental in bringing the sport on the national sports calendar and that is why he deserves to be honoured.

“He supported hockey for over 30 years now and he became the sport’s main sponsor under the schools umbrella. The National Hockey Association gave him lifetime presidential honour so as schools our appreciation comes every year when we stage festivals of this calibre,” said Zuze.

All teams who are taking part this year will get a token of appreciation from Mark Manolios while the most disciplined team will be awarded with an all-round trophy. Over the years the festival has drawn hundreds of people and so much to the delight of the namesake Mark Manolios who is going to grace the event in the company of the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, David Coltart.

“We are very excited to host such a big festival, our main aim this year is to push the sport to rural schools and all other schools that felt maybe the sport was for the elite. We are going to have our Minister of Education, David Coltart who is coming on board to address several issues pertaining to the scarceness of the sport in the country and probably try to make them feel the importance of the game,” Zuze said.

Harare is being represented by 12 schools followed by Bulawayo with four, while Masvingo and Mutare have the least number of schools with three and one respectively. The games which started yesterday will run until Sunday morning. A festival select side to be put together by the selectors will play against a Mark Manolios invitational squad at 10.00am tomorrow.

Unlike most competitions, the winner will not be determined by the number of points amassed. Instead the trophy will be awarded to be best all-round team based on discipline on and off the playing field and sportsmanship.

Mark Manolios Sports will also award gift vouchers for various player awards that will be decided on by the umpires and the coaches.

Schools participating this year include Peterhouse College, Watershed, Lomagundi, Hillcrest, Chipadze, SOS Herman Gmeiner, Mazowe, Petra, Christian Brothers College, Falcon College, Kyle, South Eastern College, Hippo Valley, Midlands Christian College, Goldridge, Eaglesvale, St George’s, St John’s College, Gateway, Heritage, Hellenic, Churchill, Prince Edward, Allan Wilson, Mt Pleasant, Westridge, and St Ignatius.

Just like the just-ended Cottco Schools Rugby Festival, Cool Lifestyle will play a leading role at the festival by keeping you posted on events both on and off the field. Don’t miss out!!

News Day

By Veneranda Langa

18 May 2013

THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, Arts, Sport and Culture says it is investigating reports that war veterans in Rusape recently force-marched pupils from the surrounding community to watch as they exhumed human remains at Magamba Heroes Acre.

Acting committee chairman David Chimhini yesterday confirmed that his team was seized with the matter.

“I can confirm that the issue has been brought before the committee by whistleblowers and in a closed session the committee discussed the issue and recommended further investigations should be done,” said Chimhini.

He said the motive behind the alleged exhumations was not yet clear. “The Ministry of Education should look into the issue and if this thing is really happening, it is not right,” he said, adding all the affected pupils were likely to suffer long-term trauma due to early exposure to human remains.

He said a whistleblower had told the committee the exhumations were carried out at Magamba Heroes Acre in Rusape on Wednesday in full view of schoolchildren, causing some to pass out as a result of shock. According to the informant, each school was ordered to forward five pupils to witness the exhumations.

“We want to know what is happening, who is doing this, because exhumation might be a noble thing, but the problem is that schoolchildren should not be involved,” Chimhini said.

Education minister David Coltart described the incident as deplorable and called for urgent investigations.

“I am actually shocked to hear that and if those allegations are true, it is against government policy. No schoolchild should be subjected to such things. If it is true, it is quite shocking. Headmasters who get such invitations should channel complaints to their district or provincial offices. If they do not get joy from those offices,
then they may come directly to me,” Coltart said.

In 2011, the Fallen Heroes Trust was stopped from conducting a similar exhumation in Mount Darwin through a High Court order following an application by the Zimbabwe People’s Liberation Army (Zpra).

In its application, Zpra argued that exhumation of former freedom fighters should only be sanctioned and carried out by government.

News Day

By News Day Reporter

17 May 2013

THE Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart has expressed his disappointment at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s putting on ice its tour of Zimbabwe in July saying the consequences will be disastrous.

Coltart posted on his Twitter account yesterday morning 24 hours after news had filtered in that India had put their ODI tour to Zimbabwe “on hold”.

“I am deeply concerned about news of India putting their cricket tour of Zimbabwe ‘on hold’. The ramifications are potentially severe,” Coltart said on his Twitter page.

According to Cricinfo, “An India no-show will have wide-ranging consequences for Zimbabwean cricket, most notably financially. ZC is running on close to empty and is in severe debt. Match fees to some players are still outstanding and there has been no clarity on the scheme for funding franchise cricket next summer. The cost of hosting Bangladesh in April and early May would not have helped that situation.”

There are also scheduled tours by Pakistan in August and Sri Lanka in October, for which they will likely make a loss. Some of the money could have been recovered by the big draw-card of India because of the substantial television rights fees they bring with them.

It could also have helped ZC clear some of their outstanding bills. One of them is from some of the commentators who worked on the Bangladesh series. “They were not paid by ZC at the time, but were told they would be reimbursed after the India series.”

A BCCI official told ESPN Cricinfo that “the fatigue factor” which will follow the Champions Trophy and Tri-series in the West Indies between June 28 to July 1, was the reason for the BCCI’s decision to put the series on ice.

ZC and broadcasters Supersport are reportedly unaware of the proposed postponement with Zimbabwe’s cricketers gearing up for training to compete against India.

Zimbabwe has just completed a satisfactory series against Bangladesh.

The Herald

The Herald Reporter

16 May 2013

THE Premier Soccer League have dug into the charges being levelled against Harare City chairman Leslie Gwindi who is being charged for allegedly bringing the game into disrepute by publicly attacking both the association and the top-flight body.

Gwindi has been summoned to appear before a Zifa disciplinary committee for utterances he allegedly made as a guest of the Bulawayo Press Club in March.

No date for the hearing has however, been set yet.

The firebrand former Dynamos  and PSL secretary-general could face a second ban from the game if convicted for allegedly “demonising’’ Zifa, the PSL’s sponsors Delta Beverages and Warriors interim coach Klaus Dieter Pagels.

It has emerged that the PSL were the first to lodge a complaint with Zifa and asked the mother body to handle the disciplinary issue revolving around the allegations being levelled against Gwindi.

PSL chairman Twine Phiri wrote to Zifa asking the mother body to take over the matter which the top-flight body said had caused discomfort between Delta Beverages and them.

Phiri said they felt that since Gwindi is a PSL governor by virtue of his position at the Sunshine Boys and because part of the utterances that were attributed to him also attacked Zifa, it was imperative that “we leave Zifa to deal with the matter accordingly’’.

“This letter serves to confirm that Mr. Gwindi is a PSL governor since he is Harare City Football Club chairman. His utterances in the newspaper did not go down well with our league sponsors, Delta as seen in the attached letter.

“The PSL governors were made aware of such comments and complaint from the sponsors.

“The league’s assembly did not decide on taking disciplinary action against Mr. Gwindi as the utterances also involve Zifa or were against Zifa. As an affiliate of Zifa we leave Zifa to deal with the issue and advise us accordingly,’’ wrote Phiri.

In outlining Gwindi’s charges, Zifa indicated that the Harare City boss had also “insulted’’ the Minster of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart.

“On the 8th of March 2013 and at Bulawayo Rainbow hotel, the respondent unlawfully and intentionally committed an act of misconduct likely to bring the game into disrepute by using bad and insulting language while addressing various media practitioners and other invited guests at the Bulawayo Press Club in that you insulted the Zifa leadership saying that 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 councilors) are in football for egos, personal agendas or political reasons. Sound administration produces results. The problem with Zifa is it has toxic leadership, which is poisonous to everything that they touch’’.

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

Zifa also spoke about the allegations that Gwindi had insulted Delta Beverages who bankroll the Premiership championship through their Castle Lager brand.

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

“The statements were made 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.

“You insulted the senior men national team coach Mr. Pagels by calling him a tourist to Zimbabwe not capable of coaching football coach. You further described his appointment as a joke which shows lack brains on the part of the complainant’s current leadership.

“Mr Pagels is in Zimbabwe on a government to government agreement and his upkeep is borne by the German government using tax payers’ money.

You clearly breached protocol by rubbishing the coach’s appointment and calling him a tourist who is in Zimbabwe on holiday to enjoy the sunshine, the world famous Victoria Falls and other tourist attractions.

“You did show lack of respect for the Zimbabwean and German governments’ efforts in the development of football in the country’’.

Zifa also felt that Gwindi had brought the game into disrepute by allegedly questioning Coltart’s commitment to football.

“Further you insulted the Minister of Education, Sport 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 utterances have put football into disrepute and militated against the complainant’s current efforts to rehabilitate the game. The statements have ridiculed the entire football leadership from area zones up to the Zifa board.’’

The Financial Gazette

Financial Gazette Reporter

16 May 2013

PEARSON International, the world’s leading publishing company, is contemplating selling its local unit Longman Zimbabwe to a local distributor, The Financial Gazette’s Companies & Markets (C&M) has established.

The development comes as the United Kingdom headquartered company sought to comply with the country’s Indigenisation and Empowerment Act.

Insiders told C&M that the future of Longman, one of the country’s oldest publishers, has been under intense speculation for the past four months after it emerged that its earlier indigenisation proposal was rejected by government on the grounds that it did not meet certain regulatory requirements.

Investigations by C&M this week suggest that the company, through the director of its African operations, this week informed workers of its intention to change its business model from ownership to a preferred local distributor who will represent Pearson International and continue to serve the market with the company’s products.

Negotiations with the potential buyer are said to be at an advanced stage and it is understood that the new owner will inherit current staff.

A reliable source told C&M that management had arranged a meeting with workers last week where an official announcement on the company’s future was expected to be announced.

“It’s actually pointing to that and I can tell you the company is seriously considering transferring its ownership to a local distributor.

“There are meetings happening as we speak. The company director in charge of African operations is discussing this issue with management and representatives of the workers. They have actually instructed lawyers to start working on the paperwork. We expect to have an official announcement next month,” a source said this week.

When contacted for comment this week, Longman Zimbabwe managing director, Mwazvita Madondo, expressed ignorance on the development, saying: “I don’t know anything about it. Whoever told you about this should give you more information.”

Market watchers say business for Longman Zimbabwe was still very viable but the country’s indigenisation and economic empowerment law had forced them to take the latest action.

Longman publishes educational materials starting at early childhood materials for pre-school children and continuing up to ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels as well as tertiary education.

Their books are compiled by a team of locally and internationally experienced educationists and teachers.

In 2010, Longman was awarded a five-year United Nations Children’s Fund contract to print 30 million primary school text books to 5 500 schools ahead of other bidders.

This was to avert a catastrophic textbook shortage and further decline in the country’s educational standards.
The awarding of the tender created disconted in the industry, with two major competitors, the Zimbabwe Publishing House and College Press, calling for its suspension.

However the Minister of Education David Coltart, who approved the tender, defended Longman saying it won the tender because of its charges and its quality.

Unicef forked out US$52 million on the tender.

News Day

By Tinashe Sibanda

16 May 2013

DEPUTY Minister of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development Jessie Fungai Majome on Tuesday evening commended members of the Zimbabwe Association of Female Photographers (ZAFP) for launching their first ever exhibition — Shutter Opener — in Newlands, Harare.

The minister was the guest of honour at the event which was aimed at celebrating the achievement of women in photography.

She said journalists, photographers and other artistes should find room to develop their talents and professions.
“That access to information and freedom of information in the media would guarantee their freedom to express themselves, take photographs and interpret the world without fear of needless reparation,” she said.

“Photography has rare and special qualities in that it allows art to intersect with technology and it is heartening to know that the women of Zimbabwe have decided that it is important to come together and form an association to help each other and develop their profession.”

Majome added that her ministry’s mission was to spearhead women empowerment, gender equality and equity of community development and she was happy to say that the art and craft of photography was one platform where it was possible.

Also present at the debut exhibition was Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister Senator David Coltart and Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda.

People had the opportunity to view the showcase of images which introduced the works of 14 ZAFP members from diverse photographic backgrounds.

The Herald

By Zecheaus Nemadire

16 May 2013

AS preparations for the 55th International Exhibition of Art (La Biennsle di Venezia) to be held in Venice next month hot up, Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart has pledged to support visual artists. The minister acknowledged the importance of visual art in Zimbabwe saying it resonated with what was happening around the globe in terms of religion.

“I have discovered that most Zimbabweans don’t know the importance of fine art. It is most likely that when artists are going for international art exhibitions, they project the country in a positive light on the world map.

“The Government, through my ministry, is going to rally behind the artists and the National Gallery for their participation in this year’s exhibition to be held in Venice,” said Minister Coltart.

Zimbabwe has been invited for the second time to take part in the world-acclaimed fine art exhibition following their successful involvement in 2011.

This year, five artists from Zimbabwe got the nod to represent the country and Africa at large in the fine arts curatorial category dubbed “Dudziro — The Encyclopedic Palace”.

Virginia Chihota, Portia Zvavahera, Michale Mathison, Rashid Jogee and Vhoti Thebe are the five participating artists.

National Gallery of Zimbabwe chief curator Raphael Chikukwa said Zimbabwe will get back to the coveted international scene to showcase its art talent.

“Zimbabwe has been honoured again to participate in the 2013 art exhibition grand finale in Venice and we have since made it a clear point that all artists taking part are going to represent the nation very well.

“We are going back to the world-acclaimed art exhibition with the intention of putting the country back on the world map and we have confidence in our artists,” said Chikukwa.

National Gallery of Zimbabwe executive director Mrs Doreen Sibanda thanked Minister Coltart for his contribution which she said will be a major anchor to their attendance.

“I want to thank the minister and the Government of Zimbabwe for the support that forms the major anchor to our attendance,” she said.

Chikukwa is set to leave the country for Venice this weekend to map the way for Zimbabwe artists taking part while the participating artists will follow mid next month.

The Chronicle

By Lorraine Phiri

16 May 2013

THE country’s literacy rate is under threat because of the low culture of reading among pupils, the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, David Coltart, said yesterday.

Speaking during the official launch of World Readers E-Readers at King George VI School and Centre in Bulawayo, Minister Coltart said despite the country having the highest literacy rate in Southern Africa, recent surveys conducted at some schools in the country revealed that some pupils could not read properly.

The World Readers E-Readers programme is aimed at giving pupils in the developing world access to thousands of local and international digital books through an E–reader, a mobile electronic device.

“Sadly the great literacy legacy of the country is under threat, a survey done in Manicaland  two years back on Grade Five pupils established that an average number of the pupils had a literacy level of Grade Two pupils,” said Minister Coltart.

“Another survey conducted in Matabeleland North also established that most pupils in Form One are not able to read the textbooks that had been distributed to their schools.”

He said the Government was under-funded to integrate Information Communication Technologies (ICTS) at schools so as to improve pupils’ access to information.

“Literacy goes beyond reading but also entails the pupils’ ability to decipher, prioritise and research. Our desire in the new curriculum is to integrate computers into the teaching of pupils so as to enhance pupils’ ICTs capacity.

“However, the provision of ICTs and maintaining of schools in the country is a monumental task owing to the financial challenges faced by the Education Ministry,” said Minister Coltart.

He said the education sector was also facing a challenge in that pupils were given automatic places to the next level despite failing their previous grade.

“The Ministry through the Performance Lag Address Programme (PLAP) aims to assist pupils to cover up for the work they never understood. However, it is unfortunate for pupils who are already at secondary schools as their teachers do not have the specialised training to teach them the basic skills they lost.

“If resources were available we would consider making sure that only pupils who passed were allowed to proceed to the next grade. However, at the moment it could balloon our classes and put pressure on the few teachers we have,” said Minister Coltart.

He applauded World Readers for complementing the Ministry’s medium term plan to launch electronic learning at schools.

“The programme launched today goes beyond a mere collection of over 5 000 books captured on one small electronic device, but the books have been carefully loaded to ensure pupils access to a diverse array of books targeted to grow their young minds,” said Minister Coltart.

The Zimbabwean

By Thabani Dube

15 May 2013

The government has shot down a request by the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council to increase Ordinary Level examination fees by a dollar.

“ZIMSEC wanted to increase examination fees for O-Level from $12 to $13 per subject in a bid to boost its revenue income. Cabinet was not prepared to grant that increase and instead undertook to subsidise ZIMSEC for the budget shortfall,” said Minister of Education Sports, Arts and Culture, David Coltart.

After failing to fund the primary examinations on time for the past three years, the government asked the ministry of education to transfer some money meant for O-Levels to bankroll the primary level tests. The national examining body released a total of $3,5 million.

Under the arrangement, the government was supposed to reimburse the transferred funds in batches. However, highly placed source in the ministry told The Zimbabwean that the government had only paid back $500,000, further threatening mid-year exams set for June and November this year.

“The government has failed to settle the debt on time and ZIMSEC still owes 2012 exam markers their allowances. The examining institution will struggle to maintain its viability as printing the papers might be delayed or markers will boycott,” said the source. Minister Coltart said: “If the government fails to honour its promise, there will definitely be problems in the running of the national examination institution as the money is used to pay and accommodate the markers, buy print examination stationery and cover other expenses,” he said.

Coltart added that there had been an increase in candidate registration since 2009.

“For June examinations alone, in 2011 we had 50, 661 candidates, last year 65, 306 candidates and this year a total of 97,788 registered for the midyear exams,” he said. Traditionally midyear exams are held in June and with Zanu (PF) calling for elections in the same month, there has been a rumour that examinations might be shifted. “My understanding is that all the papers are ready and the midyear exams will go ahead as scheduled for June,” said Coltart. The Permanent Secretary for Education, Constance Chigwabha, told the Parliament Portfolio on Education that ZIMSEC was facing bankruptcy and there was a need for the government to act fast.

“I am deeply concerned about ZIMSEC’s financial position and hope the Treasury will honour its commitment to fund the grade seven exams and pay back the money it owes,” said Chigwabha.

The Herald

By Farirai Machivenyika and Lloyd Gumbo

15 May 2013

SENATE yesterday passed the Constitutional Amendment (No. 20) Bill with minor amendments that will be considered by the House of Assembly today before it is sent to President Mugabe for his assent.

The amendments were proposed by Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga during committee stage and were adopted by the House.

The amendments deal with the wording of some clauses in the document.
All the 75 senators in attendance voted for the passing of the Bill, surpassing the required two-thirds majority threshold.

The senators immediately broke into song and dance as they sang a revolutionary song “Zimbabwe nyika yedu yababa”.
In his debate during the second reading of the Bill, Chief Musarurwa called on political parties to ensure that elections are held as soon as possible.

“I want to thank Zimbabweans for the unity they showed in writing this Constitution. I also want to commend the provisions of the Bill empowering traditional leaders because before that our powers were not enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.

“Now that we have the Constitution, we should go ahead with elections because people are united and do not have to be afraid of each other. The unity we showed in writing the Constitution should be exhibited by the parties in ensuring that we have elections as soon as possible.

“We do not agree with proposals that they should be held in October or November because Zimbabweans will be focused on agricultural activities so elections should be held soon so that the country moves forward.”

Zanu-PF national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo said the writing of a new Constitution by Zimbabweans was an historic occasion.
“This is a historic day for our liberated and sovereign State of Zimbabwe. We are about to seal the authoring of a new supreme law of the land.

“This Constitutional Bill is a product from the people of this great land . . . it is home grown and smells of no foreign ingredients. The voice of the people is the voice of God. Who then can challenge God? The people of Zimbabwe exercised their God-given right to express themselves,” he said.

Cde Khaya Moyo commended the provisions of the Bill for acknowledging the liberation struggle and irreversibility of land reform.
“I am very elated that the Constitutional Bill enshrines the nobility of our liberation struggle and also clearly takes cognisance of our land reform programme as irreversible and our march towards economic emancipation clearly. It, of course, takes our women folk in good stead. Let us support Minister Matinenga to ensure that this Bill sails through today,” he said.

Minister Matinenga urged Zimbabweans to respect the new Constitution if passed into law.
“Having a good Constitution alone in itself is not sufficient . . . we need to respect the Constitution and the laws made therein. We need to develop a culture of constitutionalism,” he said.

Minister Matinenga said the new constitution whose journey had been long and arduous had a number of positives compared to the Lancaster House Constitution.

He said the new Constitution had a preamble which was not in the current Constitution, adding that the preamble recognised the supremacy of God.

“This Bill of Rights compares with any other in the world. This Bill is very expansive . . . It addresses socio-economic rights. We need to thank God because we are where we are today because of His grace,” said Minister Matinenga.

He said the Bill outlawed abortion and homosexuality contrary to claims by some church members that it condoned the two.
MDC-T’s senator Mrs Sekai Holland appealed to male legislators to embrace affirmative action to increase the number of female legislators in Parliament.

MDC Senator for Kumalo Mr David Coltart hailed the passage of the new constitution, saying it marked a new beginning for Zimbabwe. He acknowledged the pain Zimbabweans were subjected to by the white colonial regime but called on the nation to move on.

Meanwhile, Zanu-PF chief whip Cde Jorum Gumbo has called on all Lower House members to attend today’s session to consider amendments proposed by the Upper House.

After the considerations, the Bill would then be sent to President Mugabe for his assent and become the country’s national law.