News Day

15 January 2013

Top swimmer Kirsty Coventry has partially backed Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart’s directive that selectors for the national cricket team or any other discipline should have played for their country.

Coltart has been accused by Zimbabwe Cricket convenor of selectors Givemore Makoni of leading a racist plot to shut out blacks from cricket, which he strongly denies.

She said: “I support the directive to ensure all national selectors have previously represented Zimbabwe in their sport. This is logical.

“If I were up for selection, I would want my selectors to have, at the very least, participated in that sport on a national level. I would trust them to know what they are doing, why they are doing it and what to look for in the athletes.

“I believe a balanced approach would be better because I know you can be an expert in analysis etc without having participated (at national level). If required, then the majority of selectors, as a minimum, should have participated at a national level. As much diversity as we need, we also need balance.”

Coltart has been forced to defend himself after Makoni accused him of racism, claiming his directive would disadvantage individuals like him who were excluded from the national team on racial grounds.

“Coltart promised fellow racists to restore the old order once he got into office and his grand plan is coming to its fruition now, but we will not allow that,” Makoni claimed.

“Coltart was a member of the ‘royal family’ of untouchables who wanted to make sure black players were excluded. We fought that system and now we are giving everyone equal opportunity and they want to reverse the gains of the prevailing peace.”

But the minister, while criticising Makoni’s comments, insists his move is aimed purely at improving standards.

Coltart said: “I have researched the issue of Test cricket selectors in particular and I am intrigued to see that every other Test nation bar one — that is SA, Australia, India, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and England — always use former Test players as, at the very least, chairman of selectors.

“Those I have been able to research on in detail — namely SA and Australia — have their entire panels comprised of former Test players. The only exception is New Zealand and look at the chaos in New Zealand cricket at present.@

“There must be some logic behind these top cricketing nations’ long-standing policies to use the experience of former national players as selectors. Why should Zimbabwe be any different? I suppose only if we want to persist in mediocrity.”

News Day

By Daniel Nhakaniso

15 January 2013

ZIMBABWE national cricket team coach Alan Butcher has conceded that the ongoing row over the appointment of national selectors has overshadowed the upcoming tour of the West Indies next month.

The Sports and Recreation Commission last week issued a directive on the appointment of national selectors in all sporting disciplines emphasising the need to have former players’ involvement.

But that has led to allegations of racism between Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart and Zimbabwe Cricket convenor of selectors Givemore Makoni.

“Obviously it is the most topical issue in local cricket right now but I sincerely hope that it won’t affect our preparations. We will definitely talk to the players, but I’m not sure it will affect them because their job is just to play the game,” Butcher said.

Butcher chose to focus more on the forthcoming tour and believes the wet weather currently prevailing in the country has deprived local players of some much-needed game time for their franchises ahead of the tour of the Caribbean.

Heavy rains have resulted in the abandonment of a number of domestic matches over the last couple of weeks with latest being the Pro50 and Twenty20 matches in Triangle and Mutare at the weekend which were all washed out.

In an interview with NewsDay Sport yesterday, Butcher, who has been following the domestic matches with keen interest to assess his national team players, said: “We were hoping that the players would be playing first-class cricket to remain in shape ahead of the tour, but obviously the weather has not been kind to us.

“It’s not something that we can control, but hopefully the situation will improve soon as there is still some time before we start camp.”

Butcher, who will step down after the West Indies tour, said full camp ahead of the tour would commence on February 4.This will give the national team’s technical department less than two weeks of intensive training before their departure for the month-long tour which will run from February 20 to March 20.

The soft-spoken Englishman, who turned 58 last week, said he was happy with the composition of the squad announced last week, saying he was hopeful that the omission of Elton Chigumbura would help the player to work on his game.

“There are some established members of the team who haven’t been producing the performances expected from them. Elton (Chigumbura) has been one of those players which is the main reason why he missed out.

“I’ve spoken to the player and I’m hoping it will give him some time to work on his game and come back strongly. It has happened to Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza before and they have all came back stronger,” he said.

Nehanda Radio

15 January 2013

This week (last week) the Director General of the Sports and Recreation Commission Rtd Col. Charles Nhemachena issued SRC directive NSA 1/2013 regarding the appointment of National Selectors. The directive was issued pursuant to sections 19,21 and 23 of the Sports and Recreation Commission Act.

In terms of section 23 the Minister of Sport is given the power to issue general directions to the SRC “as appears requisite in the national interest”, subject to the SRC being given 30 days in which to submit its views regarding the proposed directive to the Minister.

Last year, I exercised these powers for the first time when the SRC issued a directive pursuant to section 23 of the SRC Act ordering all sports associations to equitably rotate international sporting events amongst all Zimbabwe’s sporting venues, which meet international standards, nationwide.

In the past few years there have been a variety of problems involving the selection of national sporting teams. Indeed in some disciplines it has been a long standing problem with allegations of bias and incompetence of selectors being made.

For example, last year the SRC spent an extraordinary amount of time in seeking to resolve a serious selection dispute in Zimbabwe Bowls regarding the selection of the Zimbabwe team to participate in a World Bowls event in Australia.

Part of that dispute arose because some of Zimbabwe’s bowlers felt that some selectors were unqualified to make the best selection or that there had been interference in the selection process. There have also been selection controversies in some major sports such as Football and Cricket.

Accordingly, last year I wrote to the SRC informing it of my proposed direction and seeking its views in terms of the SRC Act.

My thinking was that if the appointment of national selectors was confined to those who had actually played their respective sport at international level it would better ensure that selectors were adequately qualified to do the job, that the appointment of selectors would be done on a more objective basis and that players were more likely to respect decisions taken by people who had already achieved internationally in that discipline.

A wide cross section of Zimbabwean sportspersons have told me in the last few years that playing at international level involves a considerable leap in physical and mental expertise which is best understood and appreciated by sportspersons who have experienced that themselves.

The same sportspersons have advised me that national players are far more likely to respect and accept hard selection decisions made by people who have achieved themselves at the highest level.

The matter was duly considered by the SRC and it concurred with the proposals, and a result the directive was issued by the Director General this week.

I have noted with regret the highly intemperate and defamatory statements issued in response to the directive this week (last week) by the erstwhile convener of selectors of Zimbabwe Cricket, Mr Givemore Makoni, claiming, inter alia, that the directive has some racist motive.

Whilst I understand Mr Makoni’s distress at losing his job he would have been better advised to take to take a leaf out of Dale Carnegie’s book regarding how to make friends and influence people.

His abusive remarks are not only unnecessary but ironically the remarks themselves bring into question his suitability for holding such an important national position. I note that Mr Makoni remains manager of the Rocks franchise so his services to cricket will not be lost.

Be that as it may it is necessary for me to respond to the specific allegation that this is some racist plot to prevent black Zimbabweans from advancing in cricket.

Firstly, it is well known that there are numerous black Zimbabweans who have played cricket at international level for Zimbabwe and who have now retired from international cricket, such as David Mutendera, Ethan Dube and Tatenda Taibu, who would make superb selectors.

In this regard I have noted that Mr Makoni is recorded as stating, in his comments carried in the Zimbabwe, Independent newspaper that Ethan Dube did not play for Zimbabwe and is ineligible, which is false as Mr Dube played for Zimbabwe in 1990.

Secondly, it is ironic that Mr Makoni refers, in his comments contained in The Herald newspaper, to my criticism regarding selections during the tour to New Zealand without mentioning that those criticisms were mainly focussed on the non selection of a black player Vusimuzi Sibanda, which hardly tallies with some racist agenda.

Thirdly, I note that Mr Makoni suggests that the directive will make Mr Stephen Mangongo ineligible for appointment as national coach (as part of an alleged further racist agenda) which is also false as the directive does not apply to coaches.

Nowhere in the directive does it state that a prerequisite for appointment as a national coach must be international experience. Only if a coach is to sit on a national selection panel then that person should have international experience, in terms of paragraph 2.2 of the directive.

Historically the practice in Zimbabwe Cricket is that the coach has not been part of the selection panel although the coach’s views are taken into account. Accordingly these directives do not in any way affect that historical practice. Therefore any suggestions that the directives in general are racist are patently false and nonsensical.

In conclusion, it will be apparent that these directives have been lawfully and properly issued by the SRC in the national interest with a view to improve the competitiveness of all our national teams.

Whilst it is regrettable that they inevitably affect some people who do not have international experience it would be improper to allow the personal interests of a few individuals to compromise Zimbabwe’s national interest.

It goes without saying that if National Sports Associations have suggestions to make to improve the directives both I and the SRC will obviously entertain and consider them in the national interest. What drives us all is the desire to see Zimbabwe retain its status as world beaters in all sporting disciplines something which has been sadly lacking in the last decade.

Senator David Coltart Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture 12th January 2013.

The Herald

By Lawrence Moyo 

15 January 2013

DISCRIMINATION in local cricket is well-documented and the battle for redress has been very difficult. This is mainly because die-hard proponents of discrimination happen to occupy influential positions, mainly in the corporate world where they use financial muscle to pursue their goals.

They have used their shadowy networks to push their agenda and an example is the group that would meet at Royal Harare Golf Club in 2004 when the infamous Rebel saga broke out.

There, they would come up with plans to cripple the game by stopping big companies from funding it while also using their links to have the perceived influential cricketing teams like Australia, England and New Zealand to push for Zimbabwe’s isolation.

While the mission eventually failed, it is clear they never gave up and we now see a new campaign to reverse all the gains that had been made by the majority Zimbabweans in the game of cricket.
Sadly, a whole minister who is supposed to be championing the development of sports in the country is championing this campaign.

In what has been a well-documented matter, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart recently issued a directive to the Sports Commission to the effect that “selectors” for national teams must have played for Zimbabwe.

The initial impression by his use of the term “selectors” was that he was referring to any technical person responsible for calling up players for a national team.

Thus, in soccer, this would affect the national team coach and his assistants. But no, he was restricting it only to those sports which have people appointed to the post of “selector”. In the end we are down to just cricket and bowls (seriously!).

While making it clear that his directive removes Givemore Makoni from his post as convenor of selectors, Coltart denies also targeting Steve Mangongo, who is eyeing the post of national coach. Mischievously, Coltart says “historically” the national coach has NOT been part of the selection panel. However, anyone who follows cricket would know that coaches have ALWAYS been part of the selectors.

There have been times when voting rights have been withdrawn, but the point remains that national team coaches are part of the selection team.

What is interesting is that the directive by Coltart came soon after the Zimbabwe Cricket board approved a new-look selection panel where Makoni is the convenor. Wayne James joins Makoni as an independent national selector while the national team coach, Alan Butcher, completes the panel.

The national captain joins the panel by invitation and does not have voting rights. Communication to this effect was made on December 12 last year and there is every reason to suspect that this sparked Coltart’s reaction.

He is now reversing the appointments by coming up with a policy that targets individuals, Makoni and Mangongo.

Of course, he is doing all he can to deny it. But I agree with Makoni and all those who believe that Coltart’s actions are tantamount to trying to restore discrimination in cricket.

Everyone knows that there are very few black Zimbabwean cricketers who played for the national team.

Just to show how desperate Coltart is, he lists Ethan Dube as one such deserving former player. Coltart justifies his nomination of Dube on the basis that he played once in 1990!

Zimbabwe attained Test status in 1992 and by then Ethan Dube was nowhere near the national team. Could Coltart provide the scorecard that shows that Zimbabwe were indeed involved in an international (either ODI or Test) in 1990 and Ethan Dube earned a cap?

Because there are no such events on official records — CricInfo is the official record keeper by the way.

You can only be considered to have played for Zimbabwe if you featured in an ODI, Test or T20 match and facts will find Coltart WRONG.

Zimbabwe did NOT play an international in 1990 and teams like the President’s XI, Zimbabwe A, the Board XI are not national teams and Coltart should know that.

And even if Ethan Dube had played one ODI in 1990, what will be so special about that one match to distinguish him from people like Makoni and Mangongo who have been with cricket for over 20 SUCCESSIVE years?

Makoni and Mangongo have groomed the bulk of the black players to have featured for Zimbabwe in recent years.

What has Ethan Dube done for cricket since 1990 that can be put up for reckoning other than being resident near Coltart and the Streaks?

Australia has so many illustrious cricketers who have played hundreds of Test matches but the head of the current national selection panel, named in October 2011, is one John Inverarity.

Inverarity, who was cap number 246, represented Australia in just SIX Test matches, the first in 1968 as an opening batsman, and the last in 1972.

There have been 185 players who earned Test caps for Australia after him and most of them have played over six Tests.

Yet Inverarity is in charge of selection right now. Coltart even mentions Tatenda Taibu as a candidate for cricket selector. Again, that is embarrassing, coming from a minister who claims to be passionate and follows everything about the game.

Those who have some interest in the game will know that Taibu publicly quit the game and declared that he will be nowhere near cricket.

He even said he would NOT let his son play the game. And besides (given Coltart’s love for researching trends in other Test countries), where in the world do you have a selector who is younger than those playing and vying for a place in the national team? Also, once you consider Taibu to be good enough to be a selector, how about those who made him the player he became?

After the uncapped Ethan Dube and Taibu, Coltart also mentioned David Mutendera who was a selector recently.

But already there is a problem. The fact that Coltart is battling to come up with a list of blacks who played for the national team and can be selectors is a clear sign that the racial imbalance in Zimbabwe cricket has not yet been addressed fully.

But then the problem, as Makoni has highlighted, is that Coltart is pushing through something that was the basis of the Rebel Saga of 2004.

What is disturbing is that cricketers led by then captain, Heath Streak who is part of   the national team set-up and is reported to be vying for the coach’s post, made the demands.

And for the benefit of those who might have forgotten I will reproduce what was TOP of the list of concerns by white cricketers, led by Streak, and commonly referred to as rebels in 2004: “SELECTION PANEL: We have been concerned for some time about what we consider to be the unprofessional manner of selection.

There has been interference of a non-sporting nature. There has, in our view, been racial and ethnic discrimination in the selection of the national team.

. . . We should also stress that the minimum qualifications proposed by the players are not discriminatory and indeed it would, in our view, be easy for a selection panel to be established with a majority of qualified black Zimbabweans.

Names that come to mind would be Ethan Dube and Mpumelelo Mbangwa, both of whom are qualified, ex-national players . . .”

So, it is clear here that Coltart simply repackaged what Streak and company were demanding in a battle they lost.

What is also very clear is that there is a war that is still raging when we all thought there was progress and unity in cricket.

Makoni has been one of the fiery fighters for the cause of the marginalised black cricketers. And in the past year, he has been involved in ugly clashes in national team matters that have, sadly bordered, on racism.

• The most prominent issue is that of Vusi Sibanda. Sibanda was axed from the national team by the ZC cricket committee headed by Alistair Campbell.

Campbell and his camp punished Vusi Sibanda for choosing to improve his cricket in Australia ahead of a trip to New Zealand.

Vusi had actually played Logan Cup matches, which were ideal for a Test tour.They wanted him to play the limited-overs matches in domestic cricket.

It was a punishment that was linked to the fact that Vusi missed a T20 tournament run by a company in which Campbell might have had interests.

But what made the whole episode ugly is that on the same New Zealand tour, Zimbabwe were captained by Brendan Taylor who missed the domestic matches here to play in the sub-continent. There was an ugly exchange between Campbell and Makoni over the issue and there are records to prove that.

Coltart never went on Facebook or Twitter. He only mentioned the absence of Vusi when the team that Campbell and company wanted had been humiliated in New Zealand.

• And when Zimbabwe went to Sri Lanka for the World Cup Twenty20 there were clashes again and they pitted Makoni, Taylor and coach Allan Butcher.

And the clash was over player selection and sadly, it bordered on the issue of colour.  As convenor of selection, Makoni wanted Prosper Utseya to play ahead of Raymond Price but Taylor and Butcher were against it.

The parties clashed and it is on record that Taylor and Butcher phoned Campbell over the issue and later told Makoni that they had been told that the captain was a selector with voting rights. That meant that Makoni had been outvoted. However, Makoni eventually had his way and Utseya played ahead of Price.

• Earlier on the same tour, Makoni had wanted Stuart Matsikenyeri to play ahead of Malcolm Waller on the basis of a good tour of New Zealand. However, batting coach Grant Flower argued that Stuart was not moving his feet during nets and was tentative playing shots. So Waller was selected.

• At the same World Cup, Taylor had failed a fitness test but still played. The same fitness test result that saw Tino Mawoyo being kicked out of the national team.

• Rewind to Tatenda Taibu’s Test debut following a hand injury to Andy Flower. Those of us who were in the picture know how Donald Campbell was pushed into the team and even had a kit printed for him yet he had been named as 12th man. A group of white players didn’t want Taibu to earn his first Test cap and they tried all they could to force Donald into the team ahead of the teenager.

• Rewind to Stuart Matsikenyeri’s debut against the West Indies in 2003. He made 57 in the first innings and at 46 not out in the second innings, he was on the verge of becoming the FIRST Zimbabwean batsmen to score two fifties on debut. What happened? Captain Heath Streak made a declaration and the young boy was denied a deserved record, which would not have wasted one more over if it was about time.

• Fast forward to August 14, 2011. Brian Vitori was playing his second ODI and on the verge of making history. Having taken five wickets on debut, he was poised to make history by making it 10 in two matches. Having claimed his fourth as Bangladesh slumped to 176/8, Vitori was now looking at completing the rout. What did the captain do? Taylor gave the ball to Raymond Price. It needed the intervention of Utseya and Chigumbura for the ball to be returned to Vitori and he duly claimed the fifth wicket and a place in history.

But what is very clear is that there has been a sustained campaign to deprive black players opportunities to either play or claim a place in history books.

That’s why it will take another five to 10 years to have a large pool of retired black cricketers to be considered for national team selection.
And Coltart is trying to keep the fire burning.

Blog by Moses Marimo

15 January 2013

The ongoing hullabaloo in the media about the directive issued by minister David Coltart should now come to an end after he clarified it. I also had read media articles flying all over the place, including serious accusations of racism. Indeed, it appeared a racial storm was building up to wreck cricket like what happened almost a decade ago.

I opined the following of facebook: “At face value, David Coltart’s directive looks quite good. My only problem is that the directive excludes other sports like Soccer on the basis that there are no selectors in Soccer! This is the most absurd reasoning I have ever heard. There are selectors in Soccer and other sports, only that they are the coaches and their assistants. If the letter and spirit of this direct was purely for “National interest”, then the advantages noted would also apply to all other sporting in Zimbabwe. Talk of the issue of players respecting decisions made by ex-National Players, the issue of first hand experience, etc. This applies to all sports. So, why would other sports not want to enjoy the “benefits” of this directive??? This is absurd! Unless if there is a grain of truth in allegations of personal vendettas, I can not see any reason why Soccer, Rugby, Tennis, etc would not want to benefit from the directive.“

This opinion was largely influenced by articles I have read. My biggest problem was selective application. It has now been clarified by the Minister himself in a series of responses on the social network. I must say David Coltart, whether you agree with him or not, effectively uses technology to communicate with his constituents, one of which is sport. His responses  (verbatim) are below:

The Herald

15 January 2013

This week (last week) the Director General of the Sports and Recreation Commission Rtd Col. Charles Nhemachena issued SRC directive NSA 1/2013 regarding the appointment of National Selectors. The directive was issued pursuant to sections 19,21 and 23 of the Sports and Recreation Commission Act. In terms of section 23 the Minister of Sport is given the power to issue general directions to the SRC “as appears requisite in the national interest”, subject to the SRC being given 30 days in which to submit its views regarding the proposed directive to the Minister.

Last year, I exercised these powers for the first time when the SRC issued a directive pursuant to section 23 of the SRC Act ordering all sports associations to equitably rotate international sporting events amongst all Zimbabwe’s sporting venues, which meet international standards, nationwide. In the past few years there have been a variety of problems involving the selection of national sporting teams. Indeed in some disciplines it has been a long standing problem with allegations of bias and incompetence of selectors being made.

For example, last year the SRC spent an extraordinary amount of time in seeking to resolve a serious selection dispute in Zimbabwe Bowls regarding the selection of the Zimbabwe team to participate in a World Bowls event in Australia. Part of that dispute arose because some of Zimbabwe’s bowlers felt that some selectors were unqualified to make the best selection or that there had been interference in the selection process. There have also been selection controversies in some major sports such as Football and Cricket. Accordingly, last year I wrote to the SRC informing it of my proposed direction and seeking its views in terms of the SRC Act.

My thinking was that if the appointment of national selectors was confined to those who had actually played their respective sport at international level it would better ensure that selectors were adequately qualified to do the job, that the appointment of selectors would be done on a more objective basis and that players were more likely to respect decisions taken by people who had already achieved internationally in that discipline.

A wide cross section of Zimbabwean sportspersons have told me in the last few years that playing at international level involves a considerable leap in physical and mental expertise which is best understood and appreciated by sportspersons who have experienced that themselves. The same sportspersons have advised me that national players are far more likely to respect and accept hard selection decisions made by people who have achieved themselves at the highest level.
The matter was duly considered by the SRC and it concurred with the proposals, and a result the directive was issued by the Director General this week.

I have noted with regret the highly intemperate and defamatory statements issued in response to the directive this week (last week) by the erstwhile convener of selectors of Zimbabwe Cricket, Mr Givemore Makoni, claiming, inter alia, that the directive has some racist motive. Whilst I understand Mr Makoni’s distress at losing his job he would have been better advised to take to take a leaf out of Dale Carnegie’s book regarding how to make friends and influence people.

His abusive remarks are not only unnecessary but ironically the remarks themselves bring into question his suitability for holding such an important national position. I note that Mr Makoni remains manager of the Rocks franchise so his services to cricket will not be lost.

Be that as it may it is necessary for me to respond to the specific allegation that this is some racist plot to prevent black Zimbabweans from advancing in cricket.

Firstly, it is well known that there are numerous black Zimbabweans who have played cricket at international level for Zimbabwe and who have now retired from international cricket, such as David Mutendera, Ethan Dube and Tatenda Taibu, who would make superb selectors. In this regard I have noted that Mr Makoni is recorded as stating, in his comments carried in the Zimbabwe, Independent newspaper that Ethan Dube did not play for Zimbabwe and is ineligible, which is false as Mr Dube played for Zimbabwe in 1990.

Secondly, it is ironic that Mr Makoni refers, in his comments contained in The Herald newspaper, to my criticism regarding selections during the tour to New Zealand without mentioning that those criticisms were mainly focussed on the non selection of a black player Vusimuzi Sibanda, which hardly tallies with some racist agenda. Thirdly, I note that Mr Makoni suggests that the directive will make Mr Stephen Mangongo ineligible for appointment as national coach (as part of an alleged further racist agenda) which is also false as the directive does not apply to coaches. No where in the directive does it state that a prerequisite for appointment as a national coach must be international experience. Only if a coach is to sit on a national selection panel then that person should have international experience, in terms of paragraph 2.2 of the directive. Historically the practice in Zimbabwe Cricket is that the coach has not been part of the selection panel although the coach’s views are taken into account. Accordingly these directives do not in any way affect that historical practice. Therefore any suggestions that the directives in general are racist are patently false and nonsensical.

In conclusion, it will be apparent that these directives have been lawfully and properly issued by the SRC in the national interest with a view to improve the competitiveness of all our national teams. Whilst it is regrettable that they inevitably affect some people who do not have international experience it would be improper to allow the personal interests of a few individuals to compromise Zimbabwe’s national interest. It goes without saying that if National Sports Associations have suggestions to make to improve the directives both I and the SRC will obviously entertain and consider them in the national interest. What drives us all is the desire to see Zimbabwe retain its status as world beaters in all sporting disciplines something which has been sadly lacking in the last decade.

Senator David Coltart Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture 12th January 2013.

Blog by Three Men on a Boat

15 January 2013

Everyone and their grandmother has gotten a little bothered by a recent directive by the Minister of Sport and Culture David Coltart via the Sports and Recreation Commission concerning national selectors for representative teams at the highest level.

For those who do not know, the minister wants all selectors to have represented Zimbabwe before being considered for national duty.

This has drawn criticism from some sections of the sporting fraternity not least the current Convenor of Selectors for the Zimbabwe cricket team Givemore Makoni, who has no international experience. Makoni accuses Minister Coltart of being a racist bent on getting his boys back on the job.

Now, Makoni has proven himself an asset for Zimbabwe cricket in general being responsible along with Stephen Mangongo for identifying talent that might not normally see the light of day. While we think that he should be retained at as high a level as is possible in the status quo we find his comments unfortunate. To accuse the good minister of racism on a simple issue of policy is harsh to say the least.

While the idea of having people who have played the game at the highest level is standard across the whole world, in Zimbabwe it is a bit more complex than it looks.While there have been a few black players who have represented Zimbabwe at the highest level in recent years, serious test experience remains a preserve of a small cabal, most of it white. What should be noted is that a lot of them have pretty much been divorced  from the local game.Whether this is because they have been frozen out or that they simply aren’t interested is an entirely  different kettle of fish.

The reality is that at the moment it would seem that the solution lies between the position taken by the SRC and a bit of common sense. When we look at the ‘rebel’ teams, the emphasis was on being competitive, the post-rebel teams on survival while the new dispensation is now about winning. This means that the current setup has to incorporate all those ideals. After all, the majority of the blacks who qualify as national selectors are from the era of survival. This means that the mentality of these players going forward is from a different time. Not their fault. That is how things were.

The minister has said that the directive is not set in stone and therefore still open to suggestions. Kirsty Coventry has already  suggested ‘a minority of selector posts be kept open for coaches or other people with technical expertise who may not have played for Zimbabwe, so long as the majority and Chair/Convener are ex-national sportspersons’.

Perhaps it is time cricket had a serious look at itself. Makoni’s reaction raises questions about race relations within Zimbabwe cricket. The fact that there are a significant number of people who agree with him is curious.

Every other sport is pretty quiet (or supports the directive). Haven’t heard anyone talk about bowls…

The Chronicle

14 January 2013

Grade Seven examination markers and the Government are giving conflicting statements regarding the payment of markers. Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart yesterday said the markers have been paid but the markers are insisting they are yet to be paid.

The marking of the examinations was delayed, as the examination body was waiting for the Ministry of Finance to release the money to pay the markers.

The marking only commenced after Cabinet ordered Zimsec to use its own resources.

In an interview last week, Minister Coltart said the markers had been fully paid by Zimsec.

“In November last year, Cabinet resolved that Zimsec would use money from its reserves to pay the markers, while it waits for Treasury to release the funds and I have not heard anything contrary to that,” said Minister Coltart.

The markers said yesterday that they were yet to be paid despite the fact that they completed the marking in November.

“We finished marking the examinations last year and we were promised that we would be paid soon after completing the work but up to now we have not been paid.

“The Government is taking advantage of us because the results are out and there is no more pressure,” said one of the markers from Emakhandeni.

Another marker from Gweru said Zimsec by not communicating with the markers was being unprofessional.

“This is not fair because we worked  hard and at times late in the night to ensure that the Grade Seven results were out on time. Government should do something about this because it happens every year and it paints a bad picture about Zimsec,” she said.

Efforts to get a comment from Zimsec were fruitless, as the examination body’s director, Mr Esau Nhandara did not respond to questions sent to him.

Over the years markers and the examination body have clashed over delays in paying them their allowances.

New Zimbabwe

14 January 2013

KIRSTY Coventry, Zimbabwe’s most successful athlete, has backed Sports Minister David Coltart’s directive that selectors for the national cricket team should have played for their country.

She said on Sunday: “I support the directive to ensure all national selectors have previously represented Zimbabwe in their sport. This is logical.

“If I were up for selection, I would want my selectors to have, at the very least, participated in that sport on a national level. I would trust them to know what they are doing, why they are doing it and what to look for in the athletes.”

But instead of the entire selectors’ panel having ex-national team players, Coventry is suggesting that some individuals with certain expertise could also be included.

“I believe a balanced approach would be better because I know you can be an expert in analysis etc without having participated (at national level). If required, then the majority of selectors, as a minimum, should have participated at a national level. As much diversity as we need, we also need balance,” she said.

Coltart has been forced to defend himself after Givemore Makoni, the convenor of selectors for the national cricket team, accused him of racism, claiming his directive would disadvantage individuals like whim who were excluded from the national team on racial grounds.

“Coltart promised fellow racists to restore the old order once he got into office and his grand plan is coming to its fruition now, but we will not allow that,” Makoni claimed.

“Coltart was a member of the ‘royal family’ of untouchables who wanted to make sure black players were excluded. We fought that system and now we are giving everyone equal opportunity and they want to reverse the gains of the prevailing peace.”

But the minister, while criticising Makoni’s highly intemperate comments, insists his move is aimed purely at improving standards.

Coltart said: “I have researched the issue of test cricket selectors in particular and I am intrigued to see that every other Test nation bar one – that is SA, Australia, India, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and England – always use former Test players as, at the very least, chairman of selectors.

“Those I have been able to research on in detail – namely SA and Australia – have their entire panels comprised of former Test players. The only exception is New Zealand and look at the chaos in New Zealand cricket at present.

“There must be some logic behind these top cricketing nations’ long standing policies to use the experience of former national players as selectors. Why should Zimbabwe be any different? I suppose only if we want to persist in mediocrity.”

And Coventry said it was important for selectors, coaches and administrators to be of the highest calibre – otherwise failure of national teams would continue to be blamed on players who may not always be properly equipped.

“We too often blame the team but fail to see the head that is old and rancid,” she said. “I’m not only referring to selectors but everyone in sport that has a responsibility.

“Sport requires constant change, development and motivation in order to ensure high standards are kept, talent is identified and experience and success is gained. Accountability needs to take place and if someone is not doing what he or she is supposed to, get rid of him or her.”

The Standard

By Jennifer Dube

13 January 2013

PARENTS and guardians last week said the new school term started on a positive note compared to previous years despite a few incidents in which some pupils failed to get places.

Most parents who spoke to The Standard expressed gratitude that the majority of the schools in the country had given them a grace period to pay fees and were not sending their children back home.

“They gave us a grace period for paying fees,” Prisca Tome, who has children attending Dzivarasekwa 1 High School said.

“At least the children are in class and they told me they have already started lessons. It is better than in previous years, where they would send those without fees back home.”

Tome was in a queue to pay the US$185 fees for each of her two children at the school.

She said she could not bask in the grace period as school authorities were unpredictable and could decide to send those in arrears back home anytime.

Those seeking vacancies at the school were waiting impatiently in a short queue outside the administration block. They were hoping to see the school head, who was said to be in a meeting.

Another parent said she had been turned away from several schools around the city because her daughter was transferring from a private college in the city centre.

Such schools as Dzivarasekwa 2 High had notices pasted at their entrances indicating they did not accept students from private colleges.

At Gillingham Primary School, also in Dzivarasekwa, there was a short queue of parents who were paying the US$30 per child fees for the term.

They said they were happy that the fees remained the same as last year, although they heard that an increment of US$15 had been proposed.

At Warren Park 6 Council School, a notice which read: “We have no places for all classes,” greeted those who entered the reception area. An administrator at the school said the school’s vacancies had been filled mid-2012.

Classes at the school were already in full swing, with just a small queue of parents who were paying fees.

The Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture David Coltart said the term had started well. “By and large, schools are functioning well — learners are already learning and teachers are back at school.”

The situation was almost the same across the country.