The Sunday News

By Lulu Brenda Harris

5 January 2013

PREPARATIONS for the construction of a school at Lupane centre, in Matabeleland North, funded by the Chinese government are on course as the constructors are carrying out last-minute surveying and will start building once satisfied with the site.

The school project, which was started two years ago, is a gift from the Chinese government to the people of Zimbabwe to promote education.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture deputy minister, Cde Lazarus Dokora, said Chinese officials have been to the site on numerous occasions and were busy conducting various tests and collecting samples.

The deputy minister described the Chinese as meticulous people who paid particular attention to detail and were still carrying out relevant site tests.

“The Chinese have been to the site with our education ministry officials. They have been busy collecting data, various soil samples, testing the land and other geometrical stuff. Officials from physical planning have also been to the site attesting to what type of structure would suit the area,” he said.

“Once they are done the physical real construction will take much shorter than the planning but otherwise everything is on course,” he said.

This school was at the centre of controversy in 2011 when its relocation was still undecided.

Initially the project had been earmarked for Bubi but was later moved to Lupane, which is the capital for Matabeleland North.

Leaders from Bubi were not amused with its relocation and described the move as “underhand” because the district is a resettlement area arguing it was no secret that “detractors” refused to see any form of development occurring in the area.

However the education ministry officials dismissed that notion and explained that it was ideal for the school to be situated in Lupane, which was the centre of Matabeleland North.

Minister David Coltart said his ministry recommended the Chinese to build the school in Lupane because it would be at a focal point.

The Independent

4 January 2013

‘Monday declared holiday as travellers flood Beitbridge,” the Herald stated last Friday.

This followed a pronouncement from President Mugabe declaring Monday, December 24 a public holiday.

“Workers no longer have to worry about returning to work before going back on holiday for Christmas Day and Boxing Day,” the Herald helpfully added.

This was clearly a populist move. If the government was really so concerned about the welfare of workers, why did it take a whole year to express that concern? It seems logical that Monday, December 24 should be a holiday given the need of many people to travel to their rural homes and then back to urban centres. But why wait all that time before making the announcement and causing havoc in the banking and commercial sectors? People couldn’t access their bank accounts on Monday except via ATMs and many stores and food
outlets were closed.

This is no way to run a country. Business people need to plan ahead and help their employees do the same. Only in Zimbabwe does the government wait all year and then suddenly decide an extra holiday would be a useful gift to a hard-pressed population. This was just one of several yuletide inducements.

On the hoof decision

We had the same fiasco in education where the authorities appeared unable to make up their minds as to which day the new term would start. Education minister David Coltart was sure of his dates. But the authors of the Government Gazette weren’t. They had pupils starting lessons a week later!

Was there no liaison between the arms of government? Couldn’t somebody pick up a phone and decide on the date?

As for travellers “flooding” Beitbridge, they have been flooding Beitbridge for 30 years but nothing has been done to ease the congestion. Beitbridge is a case study in incompetence and confusion. An assortment of government departments and agencies headed by Zimra compete to see who can cause the most inconvenience to travellers. Nothing appears to be done to assist the hard-pressed travellers.

And then, with many people having waited up to two days in the torrid conditions of the lowveld, Zimra pounces on unsuspecting travellers as they approach Masvingo. Double jeopardy!

If it’s any consolation, visitors to Zambia are fleeced of US$300 when crossing at Chirundu. If governments in the region insist upon inconveniencing visitors and returning residents they will get the reputations they deserve.

And Karikoga Kaseke will have to continue insulting our intelligence with claims of poor “perceptions” about Zimbabwe as if this is an invention of the Western press.

All talk scant action

Government is “concerned” with the increased number of deaths compared to 2011, Transport minister Nicholas Goche declared this week, as if they had just realised it. It seems government never gets tired of singing from the same hymn sheet at just about this time every year.

Goche’s “solution” to the carnage on our roads lay in the deployment of more vehicle inspectors.

“In this respect, I want to point out that we have since increased the presence of traffic safety council personnel to remind the public on the dos and don’ts of driving,” Goche said.

Police Assistant Commissioner Kenny Mthombeni chipped in saying they would continue to heavily deploy officers on the roads until “sanity prevailed”. Clearly we are in for a long wait!

Goche attributed most road accidents during the festive season to un-roadworthy vehicles, reckless driving and fatigue. Curiously the
appalling state of the roads seems to have escaped his notice while he was busy apportioning blame to motorists alone.

It is no wonder accidents are increasing given the snail’s pace with which the roads are being repaired.

Road repair crews along the Harare-Masvingo road abandoned their workstations during the holidays, the most inopportune time, forcing motorists to take detours along hazardous side roads.

Considering the revenue Zinara is accruing at tollgates, the horrendous state of our highways is totally unacceptable.We demand less “concern” and more action Cde Goche!

Zanu PF concedes

It seems Zanu PF is now resigned to the fact that the European Union (EU) sanctions imposed on President Mugabe and his coterie over human rights abuses are not going anywhere.

The “illegal” sanctions would not be removed as long as Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was not in power, squeaked Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa.

“The sanctions were imposed to install the MDC and Tsvangirai into power. I know the sanctions are going to be extended until after elections (this year). We are not going to have elections before February and this means the sanctions are going to remain in place until 2014,” Mutasa said.

This is despite spirited attempts by Zanu PF to arm-twist the EU into revoking the embargo. Remember the National Anti-Sanctions Petition Campaign which was formed after “ordinary people expressed outrage at the continued imposition of the sanctions”, at least according to the Herald.

Sanctions brick wall

Despite the campaign gathering “over two million signatures”, it hit a brick wall with the EU saying the issue was “simply not up for discussion”.

When persuasion failed, Zanu PF tried to sue the bloc with Attorney-General Johannes Tomana promising to “throw these illegal sanctions right into the face of the EU”.

Tomana’s claims ultimately boomeranged on him as he was forced to wait to be summoned by the EU on the issue conceding that “there have not been any developments on the case since we filed the lawsuit”.

Mutasa this week acknowledged the anti-sanctions drive is a lost cause: “It is naïve to think that the sanctions will be removed this February. The EU might, just as a face saver, remove the sanctions after February 2014, not because the MDC–T will have won — of course Zanu PF will win — but will be ashamed to continue having them in place.”

It is quite clear who should be ashamed here!

Ncube offside … again

As far as daft comments go, Welshman Ncube took the cake last month with his declaration his party is ready to participate in elections even without a new constitution.

While the Sadc-appointed facilitators were urging the inclusive government to ensure Zimbabwe becomes “a normal society again”, Ncube said his party was ready for polls even if they were to be called this month.

“So our position is that if it is not possible to have a democratic constitution, then let’s have elections without a new constitution. We can always fight for one after that exercise,” said Ncube. Not for the first time, Ncube has lost the plot.

The fact that the current constitution makes the playing field uneven in favour of Zanu PF is but one of the reasons we need a new one.

Bippa about-turn

Finally we have notification in the Herald that the government will no longer tolerate Bippa violations.

For 10 years President Mugabe’s supporters have been waxing defiant on this issue saying there will be no going back. Now we are told there must be no further seizures. So what occasioned this turnabout?

Zimbabwe is due to resume negotiations with the EU in Brussels soon.Top of the agenda will be the Bippa properties which have been arbitrarily taken.

The EU has said it will not proceed without resolution of this matter. Property rights are fundamental to the reform process. So let’s not hear any more of this “no going back” claptrap from Zanu PF.

Reform is coming whether it likes it or not.

New Zimbabwe

1 January 2013

A leading advocacy group is calling on government to strengthen the poorly-equipped Human Rights Commission ahead of elections this year so it can effectively deal with rights violations that may arise.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) says the government should fully address the commission’s inadequacies and inefficiencies raised by outgoing chairman Reginald Austin who resigned in protest last Friday.

He accused government of abandoning the rights panel with “no budget, no accommodation, no mobility, no staff and no implementing Act or corporate legal status.”

The lawyers’ group says the government should quickly act on concerns raised by Austin before the country goes to a constitutional referendum and a high-stakes general election expected mid-year.

“The spotlight is now focused firmly on government to take immediate concrete and positive measures to resource the commission, establish a professional secretariat and ensure that it is enabled ahead of elections,” the ZLHR said in a statement.

It added that Austin’s move was “an unequivocal statement of condemnation of the current operating framework of the commission, in particular excessive powers of the executive.”

“Executive interference must be minimised and legislators must act swiftly to improve the enabling Act ahead of the constitutional referendum and elections.”

ZLHR said empowering the commission would “put perpetrators on notice that they will not escape liability for any human rights violations during an election period, or generally.”

Zimbabwe’s successive elections since independence in 1980 have been marred by varying levels of intimidation and violence perpetrated mainly by President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party against opposition activists.

Hundreds of MDC supporters were killed in the run-up to the 2008 run-off vote, forcing Morgan Tsvangirai to pull out of the contest.

Rights defenders described Austin’s departure as a major setback for the human rights agenda.

Education Minister David Coltart, a veteran lawyer, said: “I am saddened by the resignation of Prof Reg Austin… I understand and sympathize with his reasons.”

“The system has made sure that he is frustrated into resigning before the commission even starts it’s real work,” Gutu, an MDC-T official wrote on Facebook.

News Day

By Moses Matenga

29 December 2012

THE two MDC parties in the inclusive government and several other smaller political formations are reportedly planning to rally behind one presidential candidate in a grand coalition to supplant the President Robert Mugabe-led Zanu PF regime in next year’s harmonised elections.

Although the pleas to unite the pro-democracy factions against Zanu PF are as old as multi-party politics in the country, party and civic society leaders yesterday said if the move succeeds, it will ensure a resounding victory for democracy.

Political analysts also pointed to the advantages of a united front by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangira, Welshman Ncube’s MDC and Simba Makoni’s Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD) against a sitting dictatorship post every election.

MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said: “The position of the MDC is that it welcomes co-operation and unity of purpose of all progressive democratic forces for the purpose of the removal of dictatorship. It, therefore, has always co-operated with other political parties.

“The decision of what form of co-operation it will be will have to be made by members of the MDC itself. Our leadership would be guided by the decision of the national standing committee, national executive, national council, the provincial executive, district executive and ward executive. All leaders will have to make that decision.”

Mwonzora said: “Gone are the days of having little political fiefdoms and it’s time to have one strong candidate who has realistic chances of dislodging the dictatorship especially one who has defeated Mugabe before.”
The MDC camp also indicated it supported a grand coalition although it remained sceptical of Tsvangirai’s commitment to the deal.
A senior member of the MDC, David Coltart, yesterday said the 2008 election was lost because of split votes hence there was need for unity to “fight a common enemy”.

“This is probably the best that we can have. In 2008, elections were lost because of votes that were split,” Coltart said.

“(Welshman) Ncube and I are not in fact at odds on this issue. Both of us agree that in an ideal world, we should have a single united opposition against Zanu PF, but we both recognise that that is well-nigh impossible. In the circumstances, we should strive to agree on an electoral pact so that we do not split the vote as happened in 2008.

“We both know this will be very difficult and if there is any disagreement between us it is in how we rate the chances of obtaining an electoral pact. He (Ncube) is very pessimistic that this is possible whereas whilst I am also fairly pessimistic, I think it is still possible. My views in this regard should not be taken as any fundamental disagreement between us or any loss of faith by me in his leadership.”

MDC99 leader Job Sikhala added: “It’s good, but there is no one who should be automatically imposed on the people. It needs negotiation.

“It’s true the common enemy is Zanu PF and people want to work together to obtain democracy in Zimbabwe. It’s obvious we all want to see Mugabe’s back.”

Political commentator Charity Manyeruke said it was possible for the parties to unite ahead of elections as they shared similarities.

“It’s their right and it’s normal like what is happening in other countries to unite and confront a formidable force. It’s understandable. I see no differences between the two MDC formations in terms of orientation,” she said.

Gideon Chitanga, a PhD candidate, Rhodes University-Politics and International Studies and a Fellow of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, Rhodes University and the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, recently wrote: “There is no doubt that any attempt to patch a top-heavy elite coalition will not succeed.

“If such a coalition succeeds in rallying a number of elites and their supporters together, it may help in securing electoral victory without advancing democracy, and therefore can only secure minimal change if any.”

The two MDC formations have previously conducted successful pacts, particularly when they all rallied behind Lovemore Moyo’s election as Speaker of the House of Assembly in 2008 and 2011.

Recently the two MDCs presented similar positions to the constitution-making body, Copac.

News Day

By Khanyile Mlotshwa

28 December 2012

Contributing to the debate sparked by the failed bid to declare the late soccer star Adam Ndlovu a hero, Coltart wrote on the social network Facebook that the country should honour its celebrated citizens during their lifetime.

“The main point I made when speaking at Adam Ndlovu’s funeral was that we need to devise a policy to honour sportspersons during their lifetime,” the minister said.

“The same of course goes for our artistic and cultural icons as well. The United States has Halls of Fame, the United Kingdom awards knighthoods, why not Zimbabwe?”

Deputy Prime Minister and MDC-T vice-president Thokozani Khupe’s request to have Ndlovu declared a national hero was turned down.

Speaking at the burial of the late Nketa MP Seiso Moyo on Monday, Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo also took the opportunity to contribute to the heroism debate in the country.

“What will happen to the heroes’ issue when all nationalists have died?,” he asked. “The truth is that you (nationalists) will die. What is amazing is the question of heroes in this country. A hero should be someone who sacrificed for the nation at the expense of the family.

“But in this country, the tragedy is that we have a homegrown dictionary that gives us a definition of a hero as someone who went to a war, which is unfortunate. Don’t be surprised tomorrow when the young generation closes the Heroes’ Acre because the nationalists have failed to define the right path on the issue.”

 Voice of America [Zimbabwe]

By Blessings Zulu and Violet Gonda

27 December 2012

As Zimbabwe prepares for elections in 2013, leaders within both major formations of the Movement for Democratic Change have expressed at least tentative interest in a pact to help them defeat ZANU-PF and President Robert Mugabe.

Secretary General of the MDC-Tsvangirai formation, Finance Minister Tendai Biti, as well as MDC-Ncube formation member and Education Minister David Coltart, have said recently that a coalition or electoral pact between the factions is a worthy goal, though both acknowledge that reaching the goal would not be easy.

The two MDC formations split in 2005.  Repeated attempts to re-unite them have failed.  Would another attempt end any differently this time?  Speaking in London early this month, Biti stated confidently that Mugabe would lose against a coalition of opponents.  He said if the opposition parties had been united in 2008, Mugabe would already be history.

In 2008’s presidential poll, Tsvangirai received 47.9% of the vote to Mugabe’s 43.2% and Simba Makoni’s 8.3%.  Because none of the candidates secured more than 50% of the vote, there was a runoff, which Mr. Tsvangirai abandoned citing violence and intimidation of his supporters by Zanu PF.

If Tsvangirai and Makoni had joined forces, some analysts have said, their combined votes would have defeated Mugabe in the first round.

While there is no guarantee that an electoral pact would succeed in defeating Mugabe next year, assuming such a pact could even be successfully negotiated, it would certainly improve the odds.

Coalitions and electoral pacts in Zambia, Kenya, Lesotho and other African countries have successfully united opposition groups, at least long enough to defeat incumbent leaders.

Mr. Coltart, who first publicly revived the issue, tells VOA’s Blessing Zulu that a pact would not be easy, but agrees it is worth pursuing.

Interview with David Coltart

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The leader of the MDC-N himself, Welshman Ncube, agrees a pact is worth trying, but says he is not optimistic it can happen.

Interview with Welshman Ncube

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Meanwhile, reporter Violet Gonda reached out to the spokesmen of the two MDC formations in government, Nhlanhla Dube (Ncube) and Douglas Mwonzora (Tsvangirai).

Panel Discussion with Douglas Mwonzora and Nhlanhla Dube

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Mr. Dube says an electoral pact is desirable in theory, but forming one in practice is full of challenges.  Mr. Mwonzora stated that so far, no discussion of a pact has happened officially, but if MDC supporters want the formations to cooperate in the coming elections, this is what the formations should do.

New Zimbabwe

By Welshman Ncube and David Coltart

27 December 2012

Following a report on this site last week that MDC leader Welshman Ncube and Senator David Coltart were at odds over need for an electoral pact ahead of the 2013 elections, the two have sought to play down their differences, yet doubling down on their positions.

Some people are calling on Ncube and Morgan Tsvangirai to bury the hatchet and forge a coalition to boost the MDC’s prospects of dethroning President Robert Mugabe in the next polls. The following are brief statements issued by Ncube and Coltart on social media Thursday.

Coltart wrote:

Welshman Ncube and I are not in fact at odds on this issue. Both of us agree that in an ideal world we should have a single united opposition against Zanu PF but we both recognise that that is well-nigh impossible. In the circumstances we should strive to agree on an electoral pact so that we do not split the vote as happened in 2008.

We both know this will be very difficult and if there is any disagreement between us it is in how we rate the chances of obtaining an electoral pact. He is very pessimistic that this is possible whereas whilst I am also fairly pessimistic I think it is still possible. My views in this regard should not be taken as any fundamental disagreement between us or any loss of faith by me in his leadership.

Ncube responded:

David Coltart is correct. We all believe that it would be easier to defeat Zanu PF if we had a united democratic opposition to Zanu PF and that such a democratic united opposition is desirable and necessary.
We differ only in respect of whether conditions for the creation of such a united democratic opposition to Zanu PF exists in Zimbabwe today and on whether given the objective conditions on the ground it is possible to achieve such a position. I believe that the reunification of the MDC is impossible for reasons too numerous to detail here.

I also believe that given the things which divide the two MDC formations and what has gone on between the two parties since the split, it is equally impossible to construct any coalition agreement that would receive the support of the respective National Councils of the two parties.

More importantly, having regard to where the two parties stand in relation to each other today, any honest assessment will show that there just is not sufficient appetite for any coalition within the decision-making bodies of the two parties.

In 2008 the MDC National Council authorized negotiations for a coalition and later endorsed the agreed coalition agreement but the MDC-T National Council rejected that agreement. Today, I doubt if the MDC National Council would even authorize any negotiations on the matter given the general sentiment in the party. I believe the same situation prevails in the MDC-T.

We are, however, a democratic part, those who want to try to construct such a coalition agreement as might be possible are free to do so. Some of us will continue to focus on implementing the MDC Congress resolutions which inter alia require us to focus on the rebuilding and rebranding of our party and preparations for contesting every electoral seat at the 2013 general elections.

The Zimbabwe Mail

26 December 2012

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, Senator David Coltart says there is need for Zimbabweans to invest in sport if the country is to prosper in 2013.

Senator Coltart said the country needs to emulate the German model of development and capitalise on the rich history the country has on the sporting front.

Germany has invested about one billion dollars in youth programmes in the past decade with academies run by professional teams and training centres overseen by the National Soccer Association.

The remarks made by Senator Coltart come at a time the country is reflecting on a disappointing year on the sporting front.

Apart from the Zimbabwe rugby team and the Zim Sevens side which qualified for the 2015 Sevens World Cup there was little to celebrate on the sporting scene.

ZimEye

By Benjamin Chitate

25 December 2012

ESPN Cricinfo

By Liam Brickhill

25 December 2012

Zimbabwe played eight international matches this year, one of which included their heaviest Test defeat

After the hope and promise of 2011, Zimbabwe’s 2012 began with their heaviest-ever defeat in Test match cricket and barely picked up thereafter. Not a single international match was played on Zimbabwean soil this year, and cricket in the country began to stagnate.

The triumph in the unofficial tri-series against South Africa in June offered a brief and happy respite, but by the end of a year in which little rain fell and drought threatened the livelihood of millions, Zimbabwean cricket looked as thirsty as the country’s soil.

Matabeleland has been particularly hard hit by the spell of bone-dry weather, and international competition too has abandoned the parched outfield of the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

The situation has drawn the ire of Zimbabwe’s minister of sport, David Coltart, and the facts lay bare the cause of his grumbling. This year Zimbabwe played just one Test match – the debacle against New Zealand at McLean Park. A handful of limited-overs games, including a World Twenty20 jaunt that came to a crashing halt before some teams at the tournament had even opened their accounts, took their international match tally in 2012 to eight.

The year before, during which time they were by no means over-subscribed, they played 24 games – and that included a World Cup. Zimbabwe are in serious danger of regressing, and a lack of top-level cricket is at the root of many of their current problems.

The Zimbabwean establishment has often called for more A side and representative tours in order to test their mettle against a variety of opposition, but these are only useful when they are supplementary to visits from full international sides. Zimbabwe are stuck in a Catch-22 situation. More matches against lesser opposition would keep the team busy, but they wouldn’t bring in any revenue, and the cost of hosting such tours could well significantly worsen ZC’s precarious financial state. If they aim to play only the Test elite, then they leave themselves at the mercy of an increasingly fickle – and full – international calendar.

Zimbabwe’s chances for match time and exposure dwindled with each cricket-less month; they operated without any sort of international context. At the Zimbabwe Cricket awards ceremony in November one senior player was overheard questioning the point of holding the event at all when there were barely any matches from which to judge the winners. Zimbabwe need matches that matter.

A more inclusive, fuller touring programme that includes the major associates would greatly enhance Zimbabwe’s opportunities for competitive cricket but a bigger international cricket club would also decrease their ICC stipend. Something’s got to give.

Zimbabwe’s domestic programme, revamped with much fanfare in 2009, has in the past helped to paper over the cracks in their international calendar. The local scene did provide some distraction in 2012 as well, though not necessarily for the right reasons, as over-helpful pitches contributed to a string of startling results. A fast-bowling feeding frenzy culminated in Tinashe Panyangara and Tawanda Mupariwa’s scuttling of Mountaineers for just 26 at Masvingo Sports Club.

Elsewhere there was a reshuffling of the administrative pack, but no new hand was really dealt. Ozias Bvute, who has held the strings behind the changing face of Zimbabwe cricket for well over a decade, made way for Wilfred Mukondiwa in the managing director’s role. Bvute is certainly not out of the picture, though, and will apparently maintain a consultancy role in ZC’s commercial dealings.

Zimbabwe cricket also lost two of its most influential figures, and arguably both to God. Tatenda Taibu walked away from the game in July to devote himself full time to his church and his work as a preacher, and the death of Kevin Curran in October capped a sombre year.

Curran, 53, collapsed while jogging in the hilly eastern city of Mutare, where he had been preparing the Mashonaland Eagles for a T20 match against Mountaineers. Curran was a passionate servant of Zimbabwean cricket and it is telling that since his passing a deflated Mashonaland Eagles team has stumbled through the domestic season without a win in the Logan Cup, falling even to the unfancied Southern Rocks – a side that had previously failed to win a single first-class game since the franchise system was introduced.

High point
Zimbabwe’s crushing nine-wicket win over South Africa in the unofficial T20 tri-series in June sparked scenes of jubilation at Harare Sports Club. The team’s victory lap was interrupted after the spectators packed into the overflowing Castle Corner Stand flooded into a chaotic pitch invasion. Though the opposition were weakened, there was no questioning the joy Zimbabwe’s triumph brought both the team and its fans. It is tragic that the goodwill and positivity generated by that result was diffused by the shambolic World Twenty20 campaign and the total lack of matches thereafter.

Low point
When the team returned to Test cricket, it had been hoped that Zimbabwe had improved beyond recognition from the amateurish side that was ejected from the Test elite half a decade ago. It is rather difficult to sink lower than an innings-and-301-run defeat, however, and when Zimbabwe were bowled out twice in a day by New Zealand in January, they reached a new nadir. They were not granted a chance to redeem themselves this year, and one can only hope that they will acquit themselves better in 2013.

New kid on the block
Since Zimbabwe’s scatterling cricketers began to return to the local game in 2009, there have been periodic calls for some player or the other to be fast-tracked into the national side. Sean Ervine was very nearly wooed back, while Gary Ballance’s domestic record means he could walk into the national team if he so wished. This season, Glen Querl’s feats on the field have been the ones to catch the eye. Querl, an allrounder who played for the Unicorns in the United Kingdom but failed to land a contracted county gig, has stormed his way to the top of the bowling charts and has played a leading role in Matabeleland Tuskers’ strong Logan Cup form. Averaging in the teens with the ball and having registered a career-best 188 against Southern Rocks, Querl should be pushing for selection in Zimbabwe’s all rounder slot.

Fading star
The full effect of 29-year-old Taibu’s departure has yet to be felt. He had long been a devout man – there is no television in his house and his family spends its time studying the Bible together – and it was clear as early as 2010 that his future lay with the church. “If you’d asked me five years ago, I’d have told you cricket was the centre of my life,” he said two years ago. “Now, I’d say it’s God, with cricket a distant second.” Taibu eventually had no room left for cricket in his life, and Zimbabwean cricket is poorer for the loss.

What 2013 holds
Mercifully next year’s schedule will at least bring much more cricket with it. Zimbabwe have six Tests lined up, against West Indies, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. India are meant to be playing three ODIs in the country, and Afghanistan are rumoured to be planning a mid-year trip to southern Africa. Zimbabwe won’t be part of the Champions Trophy in England in June, however, and A side tours must be sought to keep the country’s senior players – many of whom should now be nearing the peaks of their careers – match fit. The next end-of-year ZC awards ceremony will hopefully have a better selection of worthy performances to honour.