RadioVOP

17 September 2010

THE two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) factions are engaged in informal reunification talks following their 2005 acrimonious split, David Coltart, the legal secretary of group led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has said.

Coltart, who emphasised that he was speaking in his personal capacity, told participants at a lecture series organised by the Students Solidarity Trust (SST) that he regretted the split and the two factions’ failure to form an electoral pact ahead of the 2008 elections.

A fortnight ago, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai – who leads the other faction — said he was not opposed to calls for the two factions to reunite ahead of elections expected next year.

The MDC split into two following differences over the party’s participation in Senate elections. Tsvangirai said the Senate was a waste of tax-payer dollars, while the MDC party in Matabeleland where the party had the highest concentration of parliamentary seats felt having Zanu PF Senators working in MDC-controlled constituencies would disrupt the party’s programmes.

Tsvangirai’s deputy Gibson Sibanda, now late, and secretary general Welshman Ncube led the break-away.

Coltart, who stuck with his colleagues from Matabeleland, said strong leadership would be needed if the two groups were to reconcile after 2008 talks aimed at re-unification collapsed.

He said a united front was necessary to help complete Zimbabwe’s transition to democracy.

Comment: There are no formal talks of any kind taking place. The “informal talks” I mentioned in answer to a question at a meeting in Harare on education are merely between individuals in both formations who have no mandate from the leadership but who desire at the very least a common front. In other words not too much should be read into this report of my response to a question raised by a member of the audience.

The Zimbabwean

16 September 2010

As primary schools receive new textbooks, the Government promises to improve teachers’ conditions, wrotes our special correspendent.

The country’s 5,000 primary schools should receive new textbooks by the end of this term. But books alone will not improve children’s education. Schools have been short of teachers since the economic crisis in 2008 forced many teachers to choose other jobs or go abroad.
The minister of education, sport, arts and culture, Senator David Coltart, told The Zimbabwean that although he was pleased to report that distribution of new textbooks, funded by Unicef, had started well, he was aware that “textbooks alone, without good and motivated teachers, are not useful”.
He said his ministry had engaged other cabinet ministers to come up with a lasting solution to the plight of teachers. He would like to improve teachers’ salaries and accommodation and maintain a teachers’ council. There were also plans to hire untrained personnel to help teachers until it was possible to increase the number of trained teachers.
Schools in rural areas are having the new textbooks delivered first, before the rainy season makes transport difficult.
“This is a huge exercise, requiring 500 truckloads, which requires collective effort at every stage. The remote areas include Binga in Matabeleland North, Malapati and Nyamapanda on the border with Mozambique,” said Coltart, who added that the books were being taken straight to schools.
Coltart said the textbook scheme was a milestone in the country’s education history.   It would go a long way towards helping children and transforming the quality of education.
“This visionary partnership between the inclusive government, international donor community and the UN has brought hope for children because they now have books and learning materials for the first time in years,” he said.
The goal is to reduce the pupil-textbook ratio from the current 15 pupils per textbook to one textbook for each student in each of four core subjects, English, maths, sciences and Ndebele and Shona languages.
Coltart said the government was also approving material for printing textbooks in Kalanga, Xhosa, Sotho, Tonga, Shangani, Venda and Nambya.
Meanwhile, printing of secondary school textbooks is expected to start soon after the distribution of primary schoolbooks ends. Distribution starts early next year.

Belfast Telegraph

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

By Ian Callender

16 September 2010

Four of the Ireland squad travelling to Zimbabwe tomorrow for an Intercontinental Cup game and three one-day internationals will be going to the country against the advice of their government.

Captain William Porterfield, Andrew White, Gary Wilson and Paul Stirling are all UK passport holders but because cricket is an all-Ireland sport, with players from two jurisdictions, it is an anomaly over which the quartet have no control, once Cricket Ireland took the decision to go, based on the Irish government’s support of the new Unity government in Zimbabwe.

Porterfield and Wilson are county professionals based in England, Stirling is contracted by Cricket Ireland and White is a Belfast schoolteacher.

“With the World Cup in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka just five months away, no player is really in a position to say ‘no’ and our focus will be fully on beating Zimbabwe in their own backyard.

“It would be a tremendous boost to our confidence ahead of the World Cup and a 3-0 win in the one-day series will put us above Bangladesh in the world rankings, for the first time,” said White.

Last week Scotland pulled out of their Intercontinental match, due to be played in Zimbabwe next month, because the British government said they were still unhappy with the lack of progress of political reform in the African country while the MCC are also refusing to send a team, which was due to double-up as a fact-finding mission because, according to sports minister Hugh Robertson, “the positive signal such a tour would send would not be appropriate”.

Cricket Ireland received the same message from the Foreign Office in London but the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said, unequivocally, “It supports the Unity government in Zimbabwe and has no objection to an Ireland team touring there”.

Following this conflicting information, Cricket Ireland invited David Coltart, the Zimbabwe sports minister who was visiting Scotland to convince them to come to his country, to travel over to Belfast last month to address the Ireland squad.

Coltart, who had survived an assassination attempt seven years ago, compared the situation in Zimbabwe 2010 to South Africa in the early 1990s when sporting teams there were readmitted to international competition while the apartheid regime was still in power.

He told the players that everything was still not perfect, indeed there was much still wrong with the country, but political change was happening and it is positive. He believed that sport can play a constructive and healing role without legitimising what had gone before.

That, along with the blessing of the Irish government was enough to convince Cricket Ireland that they should abide by the International Cricket Council’s request and travel to the country, as the cricketers of India and Sri Lanka have already done this year.

CI chief executive Warren Deutrom explained their decision: “While the political and moral considerations were the priority considerations, as the national governing body for cricket in Ireland, it would be disingenuous to say that there isn’t a strong cricketing reason to travel to Zimbabwe. It gives the squad vital ODI practice before the World Cup (and) would send out a terrific message if we were to prevail against a Test member in a multi-day match.”

For the UK passport holders in the Ireland team, however, as White admits, they are in a difficult position.

“I, personally, have no problem with going to Zimbabwe and although I admit to not knowing too much about the situation there, having listened to Mr Coltart, in an eye-opening and frank discussion, he is in as good a position as anyone to give advice, having survived an assassination attempt and now happy to be part of the new government.

“We are going as a sporting team to play sport and that is all.”

The UK passport holders in the party have been assured that if there is trouble they will have the support of the British embassy in Harare and the Irish consul in Pretoria. But it is certainly in Zimbabwe Cricket’s interest to ensure the two-week tour passes off peacefully, just as the much higher-profile tri-series with India and Sri Lanka did three months ago.

Zimbabwe are currently coached by Alan Butcher, the father of former England batsman Mark, and is one of 10 Englishmen playing or coaching in the country.

The Intercontinental Cup match, against a Zimbabwe XI, which Ireland must win with maximum points to have any chance of reaching the final, starts on Monday with the three ODIs against the full Zimbabwe side on September 26, 28 and 30.

Newsday

By Mernat Mafirakurewa

16 September 2010

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, David Coltart, missed Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting following the late cancellation of an Air Zimbabwe flight from Bulawayo to Harare because of the strike by Air Zimbabwe pilots.

Other Cabinet ministers had to make alternative arrangements to make it to the meeting.

Air Zimbabwe pilots have been on strike since Wednesday last week, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded.

Education minister Coltart, who is in the process of pushing for education reforms in Cabinet, yesterday confirmed that he was not able to attend the weekly meeting.

“Air Zimbabwe advised me quite late that my scheduled flight had been cancelled. I had to wait for a flight for the following day,” he said. In his Twitter post on Monday night, Coltart had hinted that he was not going to make it to Cabinet due to complications of his travel arrangement.

“Will now miss Cabinet tomorrow morning because Air Zimbabwe cancelled the Bulawayo to Harare flight at the last minute this evening. Nice one!!.

We have much work to do to restore excellence to what were once fine companies like Air Zim. But we will through God’s grace”.

In one of the postings, Coltart said Air Zimbabwe was in trouble as a result of years of bad policy.

Water Resource Development and Management Minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo said he had made other travel arrangements to be in time for the Cabinet meeting following the cancellation of his flight.

“I sought alternative travel means after being advised that the flight I was supposed to be on was cancelled,” he said.

The national carrier has since last week been hiring planes and pilots to ply the regional and local routes.

The industrial action is compounding Air Zimbabwe’s financial woes and denting its image.

Pilots and management have since last week been involved in marathon meetings, which until now have not yielded positive results.

Despite the ongoing strike, Air Zimbabwe has tried to keep the Harare to Bulawayo route operational, but it seems it is failing.

The Herald

16 September 2010

Government has approved an education strategic plan to improve teachers’ salaries and working conditions, a Cabinet minister has said.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said Cabinet approved the plan on Tuesday.

“Its main focus is to uplift the general status of teachers, not just their salaries but also working conditions,” Minister Coltart said.The minister did not say what exactly Government was going to do to improve working conditions but indicated Cabinet wanted to close the gap between incentives paid to urban and rural teachers.

His announcement came as the Public Service Association said it will stage a march tomorrow to protest low salaries. Minister Coltart said the plan would result in reforms to the education curricula, which has remained unchanged for the past two decades.

He said a consultant had been identified to assist in the reforms.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Public Service Association yesterday met some Government workers and agreed it was time the State addressed their concerns. In an interview afterwards, PSA executive secretary Mr Emmanuel Tichareva said: “We want a living wage that enables us to live comfortably not the peanuts we are getting. MPs and ministers can afford top-of-the-range cars yet we cannot get enough food for our families.

“People are now being forced into corruption because of the low salaries.”

He said the march was not political but was to force Government to come to the negotiating table.

“We are not political in any way and we should guard against those that might hijack our activities.”

VOA

By Tatenda Gumbo

15 September 2010

The Zimbabwean Education minister said the law says school children may be suspended, excluded or expelled from school for misconduct, but an exception can be made in the case of girls who become pregnant

Zimbabwean Education Minister David Coltart said Wednesday that the government will maintain its its current policy allowing for the continued education of girls who become pregnant in primary or secondary school, depending on the circumstances of each individual case.

The ministry has proposed to let school girls to take time off from studies to give birth. But Coltart said some learners who become pregnant may not be admitted back to classes.

The minister said the law says school children may be suspended, excluded or expelled from school for misconduct, but an exception can be made in the case of girls who become pregnant. Boys expelled for fathering a child may be transferred or readmitted after 12 months.

Despite these options, Coltart said, the ministry is not granting maternity or paternity leave.

Herald

By Petros Kausiyo

15 September 2010

Harare — Government has stepped in to try and find a lasting solution to differences between councils and domestic football over the city fathers’ crippling ground levies, which have left clubs struggling for viability in a tough operating environment.

Premiership clubs have over the years been crying foul over the city councils’ decision to levy 20 percent of gross revenue for top-flight matches.

The levies have become more crippling, especially this year in a season in which the Premiership has failed to find a sponsor and every club has been forced to rely heavily on net gate-takings.

Unfortunately for the clubs, there has been a huge decline in spectator attendance at matches since mid-July when the Premiership programme, which took a break during the Fifa World Cup in South Africa, resumed. It is against this background that the Government – through the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture – has resolved to bring all the parties together with a view to getting a “win-win situation’ centred on a reduction of the levies.

Education Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart had earlier indicated that he wants the State to hold an indaba with Zifa and other key stakeholders to discuss ways of improved funding for sport. That Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda has also indicated his willingness to see Premiership clubs lease such stadiums like Rufaro and Gwanzura has also opened the way for more dialogue by all the players.

On Monday Coltart’s deputy Lazarus Dokora began steps to address the differences between the local game and the City fathers when he convened a meeting between government, Zifa and the Harare City Council at his offices.

Zifa board member for competitions Benedict Moyo and Harare City Council official Richard Tswatswa, who is also the CAPS United goalkeepers’ coach, were among those who attended the meeting.

Although no concrete resolutions were immediately reached at Monday’s meeting, Moyo said there had been a commitment by all the parties to find ways that will benefit clubs and also ensure that councils as the owners of the grounds would not suffer huge prejudices.

Only four Premiership sides – leaders Motor Action, Hwange, Shabanie Mine and Black Mambas – do not use council stadiums for their home matches.

Moyo reckoned that the intervention by the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture was timely in that it had come at a time when Fifa were now insisting that Zifa should demand of proof of access to a stadium before registering a club.

“Fifa now want a registered club to have access to a stadium before being registered and there has to be proof that each club’s home matches would not be disrupted if that team does not have written guarantee that they can access the venue.

“In some instances some clubs have been told they cannot use a stadium because there would musical galas or other uses. “But we are happy that government and the councils have availed themselves for serious discussion on the issue of levies.

“Government wants a win-win situation between clubs, councils, corporates and the State. “As a result of the meeting Harare Council is now evaluating all the facilities they have for football so that a way forward is found around the contentious 20 percent levy clubs have been complaining about.

“It should also be the same for lower Division teams and the schools stadiums but as you know from the colonial times trhese facilities have been owned by councils.

“Harare will be a role model so that other councils can see that this is workable. We really need our football to develop and we need to have easy and cheaper access to facilities while at the same time also guaranteeing the councils and the sponsors full mileage for their decision to partner football,” Moyo said.

Although government must be commended for taking the initiative to address the locals clubs’ plight, Zifa and the Premiership will also be hoping that the ministry will also revisit the Sports and Recreation Commission levy.

The Sports Commission levies six percent on each match and Zifa and clubs believe the statuary requirement should be reviewed so that a reduction can be effected.

Both Zifa and the PSL currently owe the Sports Commission money in outstanding levies. In a reminder to Zifa last month, the Sports Commission also noted that the association still owed them US$39 649 which they believe is their six percent levy from the high profile international friendly between Zimbabwe and Brazil.

The Warriors against Brazil match, which attracted a near capacity crowd at the National Sports Stadium in June, grossed US$650 000 but because of the nature of the agreement signed between the organisers of the game and Swiss match agents Kentaro, the ticket revenue did not find its way onto the Zifa coffers.

Despite Zifa having indicated that they did not pocket the revenue, the Commission insist that the requirements of the law are that they should receive their six- percent levy.

Sports Commission director-general Charles Nhemachena also told Zifa that the association owed them US$56 382 in outstanding levies while the PSL owed US$41 029 in 2009 and another US$20 758 as at July 2 this year.

“As a follow-up letter on the remittance of levies dated 15 June 2010, please find attached a schedule of outstanding 6 percent ticket levies for which we expect payment without further delay. “These pertain to national team and PSL club level matches and our records indicate that the amounts outstanding are as follows: Zifa US$56 382 060, PSL 2009- US$41 029, PSL 2010- US$20 758 099, total US$118 170 059.

“We also note that the statutory returns on levies pertaining to lower division matches have not yet been submitted. Please ensure that you submit all outstanding returns not later than 15 July 2010 and ensure as well that the levies for those matches are remitted accordingly,” wrote Nhemachena. The letter was also copied to PSL chairman Twine Phiri, and the Sports Commission board chairman Joseph James.

Dominion Post New Zealand

By Enock Muchingo AP

15 September 2010

Zimbabwe’s Sports Minister David Coltart has applauded the cricket boards of Ireland and New Zealand for agreeing to send teams to the country.

Ireland will play three ODIs against the full Zimbabwe team in addition to an Intercontinental Cup match against the hosts’ second-string XI starting on Sept. 20.

New Zealand is also set to resume ties with Zimbabwe after naming an A side to tour the unstable Southern African nation in October. The last time the countries faced each other on the cricket field was in 2005.

“I’m pleased,” Coltart told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “Of course it’s subject to (New Zealand’s) security team giving us a positive report. I’m meeting their security team tonight. I traveled to New Zealand to meet their Sports Minister and the other leadership there and their response was positive.

“People read about land invasions and they are worried about coming (to Zimbabwe). They read about racist comments coming from some of our politicians. They fear that people here are generally antagonistic against white people … The vast majority of Zimbabweans are not racist. It’s a hospitable and peaceful country. That’s what the security team will find out.”

Coltart said that he had traveled to Ireland to persuade team officials to give the tour the green light.

“I’m also pleased that they are coming,” he said. “It’s a good thing for the Zimbabwe team to play a team of their caliber as we prepare for readmission to test cricket.

“It’s also a good stepping stone as we seek to rebrand Zimbabwe. Both Ireland and New Zealand are potential tourism markets. I hope they will see that Zimbabwe is a country worth visiting and investing in.”

But while the Ireland and New Zealand boards have agreed to give Zimbabwe a chance, Scotland recently pulled out of a tour there on the advice of the British government.

“I’m disappointed by that,” Coltart said. “I’m sympathetic towards the Scotland team. Knowing what we spoke about when I met them, I have no doubt that they wanted to come.”

Coltart said the Zimbabwe Cricket administration and the government had made positive steps in recent months.

“No one claims that Zimbabwe is perfect,” he said. “But we need to reward institutions that try to do things right. And that’s my view on Zimbabwe Cricket. ZC has done everything I have asked them to do in the last eighteen months and that must be recognized.”

Manica Post

13 September 2010

By Ngoni Dapira

GREETINGS sports lovers. This week the commentry box will look into the world of Zimbabwean rugby and how the gentlemans game is a possible torch bearer that could hoist the country and place it on the map of sporting ‘power house’ nations like neighbouring South Africa.

Zimbabwe has produced many world-class rugby players over the years, since 1980. Despite limited facilities and coaching, the country has been very competitive regionally and internationally just up to high school and under 20 level.

There is little incentive for most players to play beyond high school level, and consequently the club rugby pool and the national team is very weak. There is little to choose from at national level and this has been the reason for Zimbabwe’s rugby downfall or is it?

As with many other sports, over the years numerous young Zimbabwean rugby talents have defected to play for other nations, mainly South Africa, Australia, Scotland, England and other European countries.

This trend has continued with players being attracted abroad by better playing and coaching facilities, as well as being pushed by the declining economic climate that was in the country, that made it virtually imposssible to earn a living from being a professional sportsperson.

The rugby exodus includes some big names, the likes of Ray Mordt, winger, plays super league rugby in South Africa (S.A), Adrian Garvey, prop/hooker who played for Natal (S.A), Tendai Mtawarira (Beast), prop, plays for the super league club Sharks and Springboks, Brian Mujati, prop for Springboks and super league rugby. There is also Takudzwa Ngwenya, wing, currently plays for the USA and is one of the candidates for the unofficial title of “fastest player in modern rugby”, after outpacing Springboks wing and fastest IRB player, Brian Habana at the 2008 rugby World Cup. Tonderai Chavhanga, another candidate for “fastest player in modern rugby”, has also played for the Springboks, and is currently with the Stormers at Super Rugby level.

Former Springboks player Bobby Skinstad, David Pocock (Australia), Scott Gray and Paul Johnstone (Scotland), Andy Marinos (Wales) and Edmoore Takaendesa (Germany), are just but the few known names of the Zimbabwean rugby exodus tale.

Most of these players left the country just after high school or during high school, However, many others unknown, are playing at top levels in New Zealand, South Africa, Wales, England, Scotland, Ireland and across Europe.

To add salt on to the injury this year nine Sables (15’s national team) players are playing their club rugby in Cape Town. These young players have been making headlines in the local top flight league and now they are in S.A, where if given the chance they will play for Springboks just like the rest. Gerald Sibanda, Tangai Nemadire, Cleopas Makotose, Denford Mutamangira turn out for SK Walmers Rugby Club, a side playing in the Western Province Super A League. Utility player Gardner Nechironga, flyhalf Bernard Mukondiwa, prop Alfred Sairai and lock Fortune Chipendo are at Primrose Rugby Club in the Western Province Super B League, while loose forward Norman Mukondiwa is at False Bay Rugby Club that is in the Western Province Super A League.

This year the Sables played in the Africa Cup in which Zimbabwe hosted the Pool C matches.

They trounced their regional rivals Namibia, who have been getting the better of them over the years, as well as, Madagascar and Botswana.

The Cheetahs (7’s national team) on the other hand won the Castle sevens tournament in Zambia held from 28 to 29 August. It marks their fourth Cup final win in the past five years participating at the tournament.

So the question now lies on whether it is a mere accentuation that there is rugby talent worth noting in Zimbabwe that can actually put Zimbabwe amongst the top international rugby teams or it is a wild goose chase that will never materialize.

At the annual Cottco rugby festival that has been running for eleven years now, a lot of talent is scouted and most of it in private schools eventually goes to Rugby academies or Colleges abroad.

If all that talent could be tapped with a 10-year plan the outcome would be lead to a formidable national rugby side.

The Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart, speaking as the guest of honour at the Under 20’s farewell dinner to the IRB Junior World Cup held last month said he would love to see Zimbabwe rugby rise to be one of the best nations in the world just like what South Africa accomplished.

“Sport has always been the fun side of my job as the minister and I would love to see Zimbabwe rugby rise to be one of the best nations in the world.”Sport has always been the fun side of my job as the minister and I would love to see Zimbabwe rugby rise to be one of the best nations in the world. “But if we understand that we have to be patient and build Zimbabwe sport together to rise to the levels like when we beat the All Blacks in 1949, we will see ourselves playing at the highest levels like that of the Super 14 someday,” said Coltart.