News Day

By Pamela Mhlanga

1 February 2013

THE number of candidates who sat for last year’s Zimbabwe School Examination Council (Zimsec) Advanced Level examinations increased by almost 50% when compared to the previous year, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart has revealed.

Coltart said 36 678 students sat for “A” Level examinations last year as compared to the 25 139 who were publicly examined in 2011.

“The number of children writing rose a staggering 45,9% increasing from 25 139 candidates in 2011 to 36 678 in 2012. Congratulations to Professor Norman Maphosa (chairman of Zimsec) and the Zimsec board and staff,” Coltart said.

Over the years, Zimsec has been marred by controversies centered on examination paper leaks and failure to pay markers, leading to the examination body losing its credibility.

The Herald

By Robson Sharuko

1 February 2013

ON the eve of the day when the controversial directive on national team selectors comes into effect, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart yesterday shifted his guns to take aim at local journalists who have questioned his move.

Zimbabwe Cricket have already advised the Sports Commission that they can’t implement the directive because it is tantamount to violating their constitution and contractual obligations with some employees.

ZC convenor of selectors Givemore Makoni claims the directive has a racial tone because it ignores the fact that people like him were blocked from playing for their country at a time when the national team was a closed shop.

Makoni has since named the Zimbabwe cricket team that will tour the West Indies where he is also scheduled to go in his official role as the ZC convenor of selectors.

Last week, Coltart claimed there was a political ring to the way ZC were rejecting the directives which stipulate that the leader of their panel of selectors should have played the game at national level. Yesterday, Coltart turned his guns on journalists saying they were being used by some shadowy forces, who were operating in the background, and claimed a lot of money was being splashed in the board battles.

“I was warned separately two weeks ago by two Zimbabwean editors (one of a leading weekly and the other of a leading online paper — both black for those who would seek to play a racial card) that a lot of money would be put into fighting a dirty battle regarding the national selectors issue by powerful actors behind the scenes who are trying to protect their own deep-rooted personal interests,” Coltart said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.

“They have been proved right.
“The amount of distortion, outright falsehoods and deliberate omissions of fact in this debate is astonishing. That some of this has now come from ostensibly independent journalists is shocking.
“One expects biased, partisan and unbalanced copy from Government-controlled media, but not from some that purport to be professional and independent.”

Coltart appears to have picked up a fight with journalists from the so-called independent media, who have dared question his motives and warned that the directive had the capacity of re-opening old racial wounds in cricket.

That such journalists have dared to question him, it appears, has apparently angered Coltart.
“Would those journalists out there purporting to be independent please tell me what is racist about expecting Zimbabwe to follow international best practice and to allow, in cricket, some of our finest black ex-national players such as David Mutendera, Ethan Dube and Douglas Hondo to be selectors?” asked Coltart.

“All are in fact willing and more than capable of performing that role.
“Has any professional journalist out there taken the time to ask our international sports people, across the colour divide, what they think about this issue?

“No-one rational democratically minded person expects any journalist to slavishly follow one line and I certainly don’t expect all independent, professional journalists to agree with this directive. I do, however, expect professional journalists to write the truth and to provide balance in their stories, which has just not happened.”

“Ironically, The Herald has shown more balance than some of the journalists writing in the independent press. Those who purport to be independent, professional journalists need to think why they are on precisely the same side of this debate as Jonathan Moyo  — and using similar methods to him in their lack of balance and deliberate obfuscation of truth and fairness in their reporting.”
House of Assembly Member, Jonathan Moyo, severely criticised Coltart, in an article in The Sunday Mail this week, saying he was pursuing a racist and divisive agenda.

Coltart’s defence, once again, was to find comfort in politics.

“Jonathan Moyo’s incoherent rant against me today in The Sunday Mail regarding the new National Sports Association selectors’ policy reveals very clearly the political machinations behind the few individuals who are opposed to it solely to protect their personal interests,” said Coltart on his Facebook page.

“To that extent it is a very useful article because it exposes the depravity and true source of the arguments against this measure which is designed to improve Zimbabwe’s sporting performance and bring it in line with international best practice.

“I suppose in an election year it is inevitable that unscrupulous people are perfectly happy to allow politics to obstruct national progress.”

Yesterday, Coltart also brought Moyo into the picture in the ensuing debate that followed his post attacking the journalists who have dared to question him.

While most of those who contributed to the debate, were apparently in support of Coltart, three contributions were telling.

“Jonathan Moyo offered facts against your policy and Coltart (is) failing to counter his arguments, instead he is sounding as if it’s a must for independent newspapers to support anything he utters because he is MDC,” wrote Innocent T Machekano. He received support from Dalaza kaNdlovu.

“So Coltart suggests that one can’t be a professional journalist and also be on the same side of the debate as Jonathan Moyo? That’s plain crazy…the man needs come up with a better argument than that!

Charles Dube said rather than focus on the politics and the individuals, it was important to look at the substance of the issues being raised.

“I thought Jonathan Moyo raised some valid sounding arguments against your position, the racial reason apart,” wrote Dube.

“A counter argument from you that explains you out of his argument would be good for both you and us. Appeals to who has raised the arguments and personality insinuations on Jonathan might not help here, except in just canvassing and holding to your side the feeble-minded who look more into who and not substance.”

Last week, Zimbabwean journalist, Darlington Majonga, engaged Coltart in a debate on Facebook when the minister, for the first time, swung the political bat.

Majonga had questioned why Coltart appears determined that changing the selectors would bring changes to the fortunes of the national cricket team.

“While your directive at face value appears noble, well-intended and in good faith, I think you are barking up the wrong tree,” wrote Majonga.

“Even if we are to have Sunil Gavaskar, Anil Kumble, Brian Lara or any of the game’s greatest yesteryear players as our selectors, Zimbabwe would not suddenly start conquering the cricket world.”

Coltart then replied: “We desperately need to pick our best teams in all sports in a colour, ethnically and regionally blind manner. Until we do so we will not play with our best teams . . . and that applies to all. Can you ever imagine Zimbabwe Cricket adopting this attitude if it was a Zanu-PF Minister involved?”

“Politicians are not just those who have formal political positions.”

The Chronicle

31 January 2013

SWIMMING icon Kirsty Coventry will be in Bulawayo today where she will visit various schools and conduct training sessions for students.

Today she will be at Mpopoma High School.

This was confirmed by the Matabeleland Amateur Swimming Board (MASB) chairman Eddie Cyprianos who said the Olympic gold medallist will work with the seniors on Saturday from 12noon to 5pm at the City Pool.

On Sunday she will be training juniors from 9am to 12non at Hillside Teachers College.

“Kirsty is definitely coming to Bulawayo this weekend. She was invited by the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart. She is coming for an intensive training programme and this is a great opportunity for our up-and-coming swimmers to learn from one of the world’s best,” said Cyprianos.

The swimming icon first captured the attention of the world during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, when she turned on the power picking up gold, silver and bronze medals.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics she did it again when she won gold in the 200m backstroke, silver in 100m backstroke, 200m and 400m individual medley.

According to Cyprianos, Kirsty is coming at a time when Bulawayo is preparing for the Senior Nationals to be held in Harare in February. He said her presence may psyche up the local swimmers to go all the way and break records.

“Actually her presence alone will push our swimmers to clock better times and maybe one day compete in the Olympics and bring glory to the nation like what she did. Kirsty honed her swimming skills here in Bulawayo as a kid before she moved to the capital and  then kept the world spellbound during the Olympic Games,” said Cyprianos.

Meanwhile, MASB has announced the names of swimmers who will represent Matabeleland during the Senior Nationals in Harare.

Matabeleland Swimming Team

11-12 Girls

Maryke Koen, Georgina Roberts, Savannah Du Preez, Olivia Rosenfels, Sancia Bravo, Siduduziwe Mswabuki, Wandile Banda.

11-12 Boys

Grant Smith, Liam O’ Hara, Rowan Isemonger, Quinton Tayali, Denilson Cyprianos, Tarrel Cook, Eden van Wyk, Lavarn Jacks, Josh McKonie.

13-14 Girls

Courtney McAllister, Jessica McAllister, Norah Tagwireyi, Melisa Tayali, Takudzwa Chitima, Bianca Zeelie.

13-14 Boys

Luke van Bredan, Takudzwa Nyamutsamba, Takunda Mashaya, Dylan Ferguson, Jaryd Lezar, Phiwo Moyo, Mthabisi Mpofu, Jordan Edwards.

15-16 Girls

Mieke Koen, Jessica Hammond, Estelle Stambolie, Selina Emanuel, Kristy Simon.

15-16 Boys

Robert Zeelie, Richie Hammond, Liam Biehan, Michael Anderson, Anesu Sebastian, Besel Williams, Jordan Lezar, Brendon Cyprianos, Ross Oatley, Dave van der Berg.

17 and over Girls

Avalon Bruce (captain)

17 and over Boys

Andressious Cyprianos (captain), Andrew John Stambolie, Ashby Tinky, Frank Lang, Kurt Steiner, Joshua Lezar.

The Herald

By Felex Share

31 January 2013

WHILE the heavy rains that have pounded most parts of the country have promised plenitude, they are certainly not such a boon for pupils at Mt Darwin’s Tsenga Primary School. The rains certainly present a nightmare not only as they drench the poor kids on their way to and from school: they do not spare them in the makeshift mud-and-pole classrooms that make their satellite school. With feet submerged in mud and no adequate furniture, the children have no option but to acquire education under these harsh conditions.

All their enterprising parents could do was to put up these rudimentary structures which, without roofs, or leaking roofs if any and without cement floors, only but leave the children at the mercy of the elements. Tsenga Primary School, a satellite centre for Chiswiti Primary School some 10km adrift, is located about 80km from Mt Darwin Centre and has an enrolment of 330 pupils from Grade One up to Four.

Most of the pupils walk for more than 10km to school and they come from surrounding areas such as Tsenga, Mupapa, Gweja and Mutasa.

“Our situation is terrible and as you can see the children have no option but to learn with feet submerged in the mud,” said the school’s deputy headmaster Mr Wonder Guruza. “Our plight worsens during the rainy season as there will not be adequate shelter to protect the pupils, staff and the few books that we have.”

He said a significant number of children drop out of school during the rainy season. “They are afraid of coming to school because the environment is not conducive. The rains can start anytime and there is nowhere to find shelter because our thatched roofs sometimes cannot stand the heavy rains,” he said.

“Moreover, it is dangerous to keep the pupils when such weather conditions are prevailing.” And the teachers are not spared, either. With mud-and-pole rondavels that have sagging and leaking roofs, and having to cook outside when it is not raining while they have to bath in the open and having to share a single grass latrine, staff at the school have a hard time. There are four female and four male teachers at Tsenga. Teachers shun the school because of poor housing and lack of other amenities such as running water, electricity and health facilities.

Mr Guruza said it is a “mammoth task” to lure teachers to the school. He explained: “The teachers are not willing to join us because of the living and working conditions. There are no incentives to entice them and it is a mammoth task to get the staff a teaching staff like the one we have at the moment.” Help has been elusive for the beleaguered school.

The headmaster said the local Member of Parliament for the area, Dickson Mafios, was aware of the situation while donors had promised them learning materials, although nothing has materialised for the past five or so years.

“We are still to hear from them,” said the hopeful head. “The MP promised to build a block and we are still waiting for that and donors like World Vision had promised to help with other building and learning materials and we eagerly await the same,” he said.

The traditional leader of the area, Shoti Kanzou who is Chief Chiswiti, appealed to Government to intervene saying child education in his area was under threat. “Every child has a right to education but there is no hope if the children are learning under such conditions,” he said.

“Children are the future leaders of the country but the future is doomed if the children do not get support.” Chief Chiswiti said the children faced a bleak future as their parents and guardians lack the means to fund their education.

“What else can the parents do when they do not have the money? Of course, they can mould bricks but there is no money to buy the materials for moulding like cement. The school needs support because it is helping a lot of people from surrounding areas,” he said.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart noted that the situation at Tsenga was emblematic of the problems with most satellite schools. He said it was “uneconomic” to build schools in scarcely populated areas.

“Satellite schools are one of the greatest problems we have in the education sector. The physical structures at those schools need to be upgraded but there are additional problems in doing so.

“The class sizes are too small because while the optimum teacher to pupil ratio at normal schools is 1:40 at satellite that ratio might be 1:15 and you will find that it is uneconomical to build a school in such an area.”

He said Government should adequately support the education sector.

“We cannot also talk of building schools when we can’t maintain existing ones. In essence I have commissioned investigations into satellite schools to find answers on how best we can deal with satellite schools. The investigations are being done under the auspices of the Education Transition Fund.

“I think after the investigation we will be able to understand the extent of the problem and come up with recommendations,” he said.

The ETF is a joint venture between Government and the donor community aimed at mobilising funding for the education sector. The country has more than 700 satellite primary and secondary schools, most of them established after the Land Reform Programme in 2000. Because of appalling learning conditions most of the satellite schools record very low passes. Most of these satellite schools operate from tobacco barns, disused mine buildings and old chicken runs.

Children in these schools are exposed to extremely harsh learning conditions with no furniture and educators. In fact, it brings to question the country’s subscription to the universally accepted norm that: “Every child has a right to an education.”

For the rural child, poverty is real as many of their parents or guardians cannot afford providing them with school fees and even a decent meal. Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe chief executive Mr Manuel Nyawo said it was Government’s responsibility to ensure that satellite schools have proper infrastructure. “Government should ensure that there are adequate learning facilities and qualified teachers in order to meet the United Nations set standards on education,” he said.

“The schools are serving a purpose because they are catering for disadvantaged communities.” According to the Zimbabwe Education Act, all children have the right to education yet problems subsist in Government’s endeavour to provide the same, although Zimbabwe is ranked the top literate nation in Africa.

Daily News

By Guthrie Munyuki

31 January 2013

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa is a gentleman at the heart of a gentlemen’s game.

His firm commitment to cricket is never in doubt even in the face of stormy waters created by a directive from Education, Sports, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart which have torched a racial storm.

Mukondiwa believes the tempestuous issue is well within his grasp to handle because racism is just a peripheral matter which cannot stop him from taking the game to a new level.

Yet, he warns: “What we cannot deny is that however, well-intentioned, the directive is, firstly, it is constitutionally and legally flawed and, secondly, it will have consequences that could reverse the gains and developments made in cricket over the last two decades”.

Coltart’s directive scheduled to come into force next month (February) has drawn outrage and stinging criticism from the majority who believe that it’s a racist ploy intended to sideline black officials from holding positions of influence in the national team.

“All national sport associations whose national team selection is conducted by national selectors shall ensure that such selectors have the requisite experience and skills.

“In particular, no person shall be appointed as a selector unless they have represented Zimbabwe in the particular sport,” read part of the measures.

But, in a dramatic turn of events, the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), whose silence had been touching when the race row erupted, prompting an ugly exchange of expletives between Coltart and the cricket fraternity, has amended the contentious clauses.

The ZC board contends the amendments are still of no effect and illegal because there has been no board (SRC) resolution endorsing them.

Part of the watered down amendments read: “Not less than fifty percent (50 percent) of the selectors shall have represented Zimbabwe as athletes / players at the senior level in the particular sport discipline provided that all chairpersons / convenors shall be former national team players/athletes.

Those who have witnessed a revolution in this sport suspect Coltart wants to reverse the gains made in cricket whose mass participation today is a reflection of Zimbabwe’s population demographics in that sport.

“One of the major goals of ZC is to offer equal opportunities to all in cricket and spread the game. The sustainability of any activity in any country is dependent on the involvement of the indigenous majority. This has been achieved in Zimbabwean cricket.

“It must be noted here that ZC shares the national interest and desire to see an improvement in the performance of our national teams. Our stance on improving and developing the game is that policies should be long term and sustainable.

“The focus now is on improving the quality of all facets of the game at all levels. Through the franchise system launched in 2009, we have spread cricket to all corners of Zimbabwe. There are now over 100 young men, black and white, who can be classified as professional full-time cricketers — an increase by almost 80 percent,” Mukondiwa, who has been with the ZC for a decade, told the Daily News this week.

Mukondiwa left his job at the University of Zimbabwe where he was Registrar in 2003 to join the ZC during the World Cup in South Africa. It was baptism of fire for him as white Zimbabwean cricketers, allegedly taking instructions from Coltart, wore black armbands to protest against the “death of democracy in Zimbabwe”.

This was interpreted to mean the takeover of vast tracts of land once held by minority farmers and the takeover of cricket by black administrators who wanted to re-align the game to reflect the population demographics on Zimbabwe in that sport.

Mukondiwa said the cricket revolution has borne fruits as evidenced by the spread of the game and participation. He said cricket now offers viable career options for many people either as players, administrators, technical or support staff, reiterating ZC’s education and awareness programmes have resulted in mass appreciation of the game.

Critics of the Peter Chingoka-led board have savaged the ZC for “running down” the game resulting in voluntary withdrawal from Test cricket on the back of poor performances.

But the ZC board and advocates of the revolution argued that the benefits would be felt long term and promised “we will be vindicated at the fullness of time”.

Mukondiwa said his vision was to make sure Zimbabwe returns to the golden era of the former Test playing sides.

“Development is not an event but a process, and we still have a long way to go to achieve our vision to be a successful performer in the global sports and entertainment industry.

“The playing of cricket is our core business and we are bullish about the 2013/2014 season that lies ahead.  2013 will be a very busy year for the senior men’s national team, with one outgoing and four incoming tours, India being one of these. An incoming and outgoing tour will also be arranged for the Zimbabwe ‘A’ team.

“The development programme will consist of school leagues, school festivals and tournaments, inter-franchise age group tournaments, trials, coaching camps and national age group tours.

“A lot of focus will be put on the national Under 19 Team as they prepare for the ICC Under  19 Cricket World Cup to be held in Dubai in 2014. The programme for women’s cricket will comprise school leagues and tournaments, club leagues, an inter-franchise tournament, international tours and participation in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifiers to be held in Ireland in August 2013,” Mukondiwa told the Daily News.

He revealed that since taking over from Ozius Bvute, he had spent the better part of 2012 crystallising the ZC’s short to medium term visions which pinned on three Cs — Consolidation, Commitment and Competitiveness. “As ZC we want to consolidate the gains and progress we have made in the last decade especially in the area of spreading the game and making it accessible to all Zimbabweans.

For consolidation to take place in such a challenging operating environment, we need people who are 100 percent committed to the vision.

But to achieve its goals, the ZC chief is looking to increasing revenue generation as he bids to keep alive cricket, schools cricket and facility maintenance.

These have been affected by the harsh liquidity environment currently prevailing in the market.

“Much has been reported about the current financial situation at ZC and often only half the story is told.
In the past, the nature of our business was such that even after fulfilling our responsibilities toward the national team, age-group teams and development projects, we remained in a surplus.”

“The franchise system introduced in 2009 resulted in the development budget ballooning to incorporate five professionally run franchises across the country; each of which required new administrative and structural investment.”

“What was clear was that cricket could no longer be run on the old business model and we needed to restructure our financing in order to launch and run the franchise system. We are therefore sustaining the franchise system using debt financing and will continue to do so over the two to three years.”

“We were very clear from the onset of the effect this would have on our balance sheet but for us, the long-term effect the franchise system would have on the performance of the national team by far outweighed the temporary cash flow challenges we would encounter.”

“We are confident that the franchise system will be able to sustain itself and we are starting to simultaneously reduce our funding to them as they achieve self-sustenance. At the conclusion of this period you will see us returning to surplus as the demands on the finances from the mother body will have reduced.”

For the record — we are confident in the gamble we have taken. It is in the national interest.

“Our revenue generation is based largely on incoming tours and through the hosting of four tours this year, we will be able to activate the revenue streams associated with broadcasting rights, title sponsorships, gate takings and other event-generated subsidiary incomes.

“We continue to rely on the support of the local corporate community to develop and sustain the domestic game and I am pleased to have seen many of our partners renewing their commitments with us,” said Mukondiwa.

News Day

By Daniel Nhakaniso

30 January 2013

TENNIS ZIMBABWE (TZ) is set to engage the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) as one of the sports associations set to be affected by a directive which requires selectors to have played at their highest level of competition in the particular discipline.

The directive comes into effect on Friday and could see TZ being forced to overhaul its selection committee.

Initial reports had suggested that only cricket, triathlon and lawn bowls would be affected by the directive, but tennis also looks set to be affected.

TZ has a selection committee assigned to selecting the Davis Cup team and representative junior sides for various regional and international tournaments.

The current TZ selection committee is headed by the association’s former TZ vice-president Tanya Chinamo as the convener.

Other members of the committee include Martin Lock, Petty Tshatedi, Martin Dzuwa, Freeman Nyamunokora and Petros Ndlovu.

While Lock and Dzuwa represented Zimbabwe in the Davis Cup, other members of the committee did not represent the country at the highest level.

Selection convener Chinamo played at junior level in the ’80s, the same level played by coaches Nyamunokora and Ndlovu, while Tshatedi did not represent Zimbabwe at any stage.

This is in conflict with the recently amended directive which states that: “not less than fifty percent (50%) of the selectors shall have represented Zimbabwe as athletes/players at the senior level in the particular sport discipline”.

The directive further states that: “All conveners shall be former national team players and where there is none former national team players on the selection panel, he/she shall have coaching experience or some technical expertise in the particular sport discipline.”

In the case of junior teams, the directive states that “. . . a person should have represented Zimbabwe as a player/athlete at a level not lower than the one to which the selection pertains”.
In an interview with NewsDay Sport yesterday, TZ vice-
president Regis Bhunu said they would seek audience on the directive with the SRC.

“There are still some ongoing deliberations on the issue and we are still engaging the SRC. We feel that while the directive is workable in other disciplines, it might be a different case with local tennis. For instance, the composition of the selection committee is guided by our constitution which is approved by the SRC, so before we make any changes we would have to consult them and see if we can map out the way forward together.”

Current convener Chinamo said dialogue was the way forward.

“I think dialogue is the way forward. We are not resisting the directive. In fact, we have always enjoyed very good working relations with the SRC. We are going to use dialogue in order to reconcile the SRC directive and our current selection criteria. I cannot make any further comments beyond that until we have met with the SRC,” Chinamo said.

Zimbabwe Cricket convenor Givemore Makoni has cried foul over the directive, insisting it is aimed at sidelining him from the game and has accused Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart of a deliberate plot to deny ZC a chance to appoint a black coach for the senior team.

Coltart has adamantly denied the charge.

News Day

29 January 2013

LAST WEEK we were in a jovial mood as we thought Zifa was moving in the right direction, at least in 2013, by putting in the bin Asiagate and the Warriors’ double failure to qualify for both the 2012 and the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

We thought that after being promised an audited report from the Mzansi 90 fundraising campaign for last year’s Angola match, we would finally lay our hands on it so that donors to the project know how their money would be well spent.

Two meetings by the board seemed to point to that direction and the fact that they were working on the budget for this year encouraged us.

But, alas, we are in for another hiding. An envisaged Football Trust has not been put in place and we now hear there is something committee, named Dollar for Football, to try and raise funding for the March 22 World Cup qualifier against Egypt.

There is another committee set up last week to investigate whether Nelson Matongorere voted in the Fifa Ballon D’or or not.

What worries us are the promises that have never been kept that a full audit of the Mzansi90 fundraising initiative would be made public. Zifa board member for finance Elliot Kasu made that promise, but we have not heard from him since the 2-0 loss to Angola.

Now, can we expect the same donor community to pour fresh funds for the Cairo trip when, clearly, the accounting system at Zifa is at loggerheads with what are proper and simple audit systems? We think not.

Zifa cannot take sponsors for granted anymore if it is to wriggle off the hook of the $4 million debt or it will forever be indebted to its president, Cuthbert Dube. The raft of measures to raise funds, mostly from levies from the Premier Soccer League (PSL), can only be a drop in the ocean compared to the debt.

In any case, the teams in the PSL are so heavily underfunded that milking the little they have will be simply to exacerbate their financial problems. A point in case is Motor Action; they made a loss of over $200 000 last year and where do we expect them to get money even to pay affiliation fess for 2013, let alone raise $100 per player for the 30 they will register this season?

On December 22, 2012, Mines minister Obert Mpofu made it clear that the Warriors would travel to Egypt for the match through support from companies that fall under his ministry.

Zifa vice- president Ndumiso Gumede and Minister of Sport David Coltart are aware of this commitment. We would, therefore, wonder where the issue of the Warriors failing to make the trip is coming from.

This is a clear indication that no one from Zifa has bothered to make a follow-up on that. And perhaps, just perhaps, Coltart has not made contact with his counterpart Mpofu to ensure the trip goes ahead.

These are trying times for football, but when an offer is made from higher offices, we demand swift follow-ups because the Warriors just have to go to Egypt.

The Herald

By Felex Share 

28 January 2013

GOVERNMENT has not released a US$1,5 million Grade Seven Grant to the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council, resulting in its failure to pay thousands of examiners who marked last year’s public examinations.

Zimsec does not charge pupils fees for Grade Seven examinations. Government meets the costs. However, Treasury did not release funds, forcing Zimsec to divert “reserved money” for the examinations to take place.

Financial constraints within the examination body have seen it failing to pay Grade Seven, Ordinary and Advanced Level markers who are ordinarily supposed to be fully paid seven days after the end of marking.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart on Friday said he had written to Finance Minister Tendai Biti over the issue on Thursday.

“Any cost regarding the Grade Seven examinations is the responsibility of Government. Cabinet resolved that because of cash flow problems affecting Government, Zimsec should draw down on O and A-Level examination fees to fund the writing of the Grade Seven (examinations).

It was agreed that Treasury would then reimburse the money but nothing has been released and this has in turn created cash flow problems at Zimsec. Zimsec anticipated that the money would come on time but that was not to be,” he said.

Minister Coltart added: “I have written to Minister Biti and it is our hope that the money will be released soon to settle the arrears.”

Zimsec director Mr Esau Nhandara said despite the cash flow problems, the markers would receive part of their payment this week, with Ordinary Level markers getting 45 percent, while A-Level and Grade Seven examiners would get 40 percent of their dues. Mr Nhandara said outstanding marking fees would be paid when Treasury released the US$1,5 million.

The Standard

By Brian Nkiwane

27 January 2013

MINISTER of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart has thrown his weight behind the new Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board membership.

Coltart said with the assistance of the Sports and Recreation Commission, they had taken time to come up with the final list of board members which they had mandated to revive boxing.

Boxing made headlines during the era of the late legend Proud “Kilimanjaro” Chinembiri but later fizzled out.

“As the powers behind this, we are sure that we did a good job. We looked at the experience the person has in the sport. We then came up with a board composed of former boxers, promoters, a medical doctor and a media practitioner. We want people who are going to revive this sport,” Coltart said.

The new board members are set to receive letters of appointment next week.

The state of boxing in the country has been in dire straits with no substantive board for over a decade.

Last week, boxer Tinei Maridzo was quoted in the press urging the minister to appoint the board for the revival of the sport.

List of board members:
Paul Nenjarama (Chairman)
Lorraine Muringi
Frederick Farai Muchena
Edgar Peter Jack Hammond
Tsitsi Muzuva
Alexander Kwangwari
Gilbert Munetsi
Rangarirai Charles Dzimba

British Council African Ministers’ Forum – Press Release

27 January 2013

The British Council, Sub Sahara Africa, will host a one day Forum with several African Ministers for Education, including Minister of Education, Sport, Arts, and Culture, Senator David Coltart, to discuss globally emerging issues around the teaching of Science, Technology, English and Mathematics subjects (STEM) and its Impacts on Africa.

The theme for the British Council Africa Minister’s forum focuses on how teaching of STEM can better equip young people for the job market across Africa. They will discuss assessment of STEM to ensure that the right skills are being tested and not rote learning and what can be done to support STEM subject teachers to update

The discussions are expected to explore the best practices of STEM teaching around the British Council programmes for schools enrich education and develop 21st century skills by facilitating collaboration between schools around the world. In partnership with UKAid, British Council operates Connecting Classrooms, a programme that helps young people learn about global issues, giving them skills to work in a global economy. Connecting Classrooms is a global education programme for schools working in over 50 countries worldwide and 23 countries in Sub Sahara Africa.

The Forum will happen straight after the Educational World Forum (EWF) that takes place in London between Monday 28^th and Wednesday 30^th January 2013. The EWF is an internationally recognised Ministerial Forum for debating future policy and practice in education. It is sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Department of Education (DfE), the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the British Council and the EWF Industrial Partners. It brings together delegates from 70 countries representing 70% of the world’s population.

Former Secretary of State for Education and skills and initiator of the EWF, Charles Clarke will be joined by singer, songwriter author and education activist, Sir Bob Geldof to review the past decade of Education and give their views on the changes that need to made in the future.