The ZIMBABWE Situation Our thoughts and prayers are with Zimbabwe
- may peace, truth and justice prevail.

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Tsvangirai: nothing has changed in Zim    Basildon Peta
          October 24 2004 at 02:56PM

      Zimbabwe's feisty opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, is not
celebrating, despite his acquittal last week on a charge of treason. He
still sees no grounds for optimism in his country, which is preparing for a
general election early next year.

      "This [treason acquittal] is more of an exception than the rule as far
as the conduct of the judiciary is concerned," he says. "It was political
persecution. They never had a case against me. I never did any wrong. So you
cannot expect me to be on cloud nine over an acquittal on a fabricated case
which should not have reached the courts in the first place."

      Tsvangirai, 52, was acquitted of plotting to assassinate President
Robert Mugabe, at the end of a case that effectively silenced the opposition
leader for two years.

      But he is due to return to court on November 3 to answer a new set of
treason charges: that he plotted to violently overthrow the president by
means of mass protests. These charges arise from hugely successful
demonstrations that Tsvangirai, leader of the main opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC), called for last year to protest against Mugabe's
tyrannical rule.

            'You cannot expect me to be on cloud nine over an acquittal on a
fabricated case'
      According to Tsvangirai, the situation in Zimbabwe remains grave. The
rights of citizens continue to be trampled upon. Draconian media and
security laws at the heart of Mugabe's strategy to keep in power are still
very much in place after being upheld by judges.

      Claims by Mugabe's supporters that the verdict against Tsvangirai last
week was the fruit of an "independent judiciary" is far from the truth, in
the view of the opposition leader. He points to the 37 court applications
lodged by his party after the 2000 parliamentary elections. At the time,
Zimbabwe had an independent judiciary headed by the venerable white judge,
Chief Justice Anthony Gubbay. Of the 12 petitions heard by the high court,
the MDC won eight after the court nullified Mugabe's victories in the eight
constituencies after it found his Zanu-PF had used violence to win.

      Had the courts adjudicated all the 37 challenges and ruled in favour
of the MDC, as had been widely expected, Mugabe would probably have been
forced out of power. But that was not to be. Mugabe immediately begun
purging the judiciary and Gubbay was forced off the bench. Three fiercely
independent judges who had ruled in favour of the MDC in the petitions were
replaced.

      It became a practice of Mugabe's militant supporters to storm into the
offices of judges perceived to be independent and threaten them with death.
Judges began to leave the bench in droves and many undistinguished
pro-Mugabe judges came into the high court.

      The entire supreme court was purged and Godfrey Chidyausiku, a former
minister in Mugabe's government and a close crony of the regime, was
elevated to chief justice in place of Gubbay.

      With the next parliamentary elections only six months away, the
opposition's 37 petitions have still not been scheduled for a hearing by the
pro-Mugabe bench. The ruling Zanu-PF appealed to the supreme court against
the eight won by the MDC, and Chidyausiku squashed them.

      "There can be no greater injustice to the people of Zimbabwe than the
manner in which these electoral petitions have been handled," says
Tsvangirai, who seems careful in his choice of words about the judiciary,
mindful that he still has another treason case to answer.

      "Justice delayed is justice denied. We are now facing a new election
and our electoral petitions, which should have set important precedents on
the conduct of elections in this country and probably shaped the course of
events after the 2000 elections, are now of academic interest only."

      In the face of many other bizarre court judgments, like the one which
upheld as constitutional a draconian media law requiring all journalists to
be licensed by the government, and supreme court judgments upholding chaotic
land reforms, as well as others depriving thousands of Zimbabweans of their
citizenship, Tsvangirai is unhappy with suggestions that his acquittal
heralds the dawn of a new era for Zimbabwe and its judicial system.

      But despite two wasted years while he fought what he describes as
trumped-up charges, Tsvangirai says the verdict enables the nation to look
forward to a new Zimbabwe and a new start. He says the acquittal could serve
as a basis for national reconciliation.

      "On a positive note, this judgment may have set a good basis for
national reconciliation and a national solution for the crisis in Zimbabwe,"
he says. But he remains worried about Mugabe's commitment to dialogue to
resolve the situation.

      "The Mugabe regime is not interested in any rational steps to resolve
the crisis in this country. It would rather wish the opposition and many of
its opponents away. Unfortunately that will not achieve anything."

      Tsvangirai's acquittal will allow him to focus on revitalising his
party and doing many of the things he could not do while he fought the
treason charges.

      "Our programme of action remains focused on achieving a change of
government in this country through constitutional and democratic means at
the ballot box. We are a non-violent party and we preach non-violence,
contrary to what the Mugabe regime would want to have the world believe," he
says.

      He aims to pile pressure on the government to level the political
playing field ahead of the parliamentary elections in March, but the
government has shown no genuine interest in implementing a new regional
protocol on the conduct of free and fair elections.

      Tsvangirai dismisses proposed electoral reforms as cosmetic. He says
they fail to address the core of the electoral problem in Zimbabwe, which
centres on a flawed voters roll that has an estimated 2,5 million ghost
voters.

      Mugabe has proposed setting up an "independent" electoral commission,
but he will appoint it himself, under proposed amendments.

      He has also proposed reducing voting to one day instead of two, and
using translucent ballot boxes. But the voters' roll remains untouched.
Tsvangirai's party is also completely barred from the public media in a
country where the state enjoys a broadcasting monopoly. His party has
suspended participating in any elections until the opposition can compete on
an equal basis.

      "That position remains. We will assess the situation [ahead of the
March elections] as we cannot take part in a flawed electoral process and
legitimise its outcome," he says.

      Tsvangirai insists that the only solution to Zimbabwe's problems -
underpinned by nearly 400 percent inflation, the highest in the world, 80
percent unemployment, chronic fuel and power shortages, and mass starvation
because of lack of food - is to return the country to legitimacy through a
free and fair election.

      But what happens if his MDC boycotts the polls? "It means the Zimbabwe
crisis continues with no end or solution in sight."

      Tsvangirai rebuffs criticism that his party is flawed on policy and
has no clear-cut programme to return Zimbabwe to prosperity even if it wins
the election: "Such criticisms come from people who have never bothered to
read our policy documents and party programmes. It is criticism for the sake
of it."

      From humble beginnings as a textile-factory worker, Tsvangirai emerged
from obscurity to become Mugabe's most serious challenger since independence
in 1980. He narrowly lost to Mugabe in the 2002 presidential election,
dismissed by many poll observers as rigged.

      Many believe he has grown into a solid leader who would defeat Mugabe
in any free and fair election. Which is why Mugabe is not likely to allow a
free and fair poll.

      Mugabe has also vowed never to allow Tsvangirai to rule Zimbabwe,
accusing him of being a British puppet. But Tsvangirai is not worried.

      "Even Ian Smith used to declare that there would never be black
majority rule in Zimbabwe in a thousand years," he says. - Foreign Service

          .. This article was originally published on page 9 of Sunday
Independent on October 24, 2004

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BBC

      Zimbabwean artist can stay in UK

      An artist who uses her work to criticise the government in her native
Zimbabwe has been told she can stay in the UK indefinitely.
      Phati Patience Siphatisiwe came to Britain six years ago to escape the
regime of president Robert Mugabe.

      She applied for refugee status but her application was refused by the
Home Office, which said it was safe for her to return to Africa with her
children.

      The decision has now been reversed, following an appeal hearing in
London.

      A government lawyer told her the case should never have come to such a
point.
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From The Mail & Guardian (SA), 22 October

Now war vets want to be MPs

Netsai Mlilo and Godwin Gandu

They spearheaded the liberation struggle in the 1970s and were at the
forefront of land reform in 2000. Now Zimbabwe's war veterans are coveting
parliamentary seats. Several senior members of the Zimbabwe War Veterans
Association are keen to contest next March's poll on the ruling Zanu PF
ticket, ostensibly to complete the gains of the liberation struggle. During
the five elections held since independence in 1980, the former freedom
fighters have been content to serve as foot soldiers and mobilise support
for the party's senior politicians. War veterans' leader Jabulani Sibanda
told the Mail & Guardian that a "reawakening of the revolutionary spirit"
among his association's members is behind their surge for parliamentary
office. "Zimbabwe is now a revolutionary nation, country and party. To us
Parliament has become a means by which our revolution can be carried out and
onwards through direct participation in the making of laws in our country."
The resolution has unsettled senior Zanu-PF politicians and further strained
relations in the party ahead of primary elections' scheduled for the end of
the year. The former combatants are challenging senior Zanu PF officials,
including Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangangwa, Minister of Foreign
Affairs Stan Mudenge, Anti-Corruption Minister Didymus Mutasa and
Matabeleland North Governor Obert Mpofu. The interest of war veterans in
Parliament is but one dimension of the election struggles within the ruling
party. Senior officials led by Vice-President Joseph Msika are trying to
elbow out young and ambitious members, known as mafikizolos. The party's
supreme decision body - the politburo - is reported to have endorsed the
formation of a committee to draw up stringent guidelines to vet party
members who wish to contest the March plebiscite and to ensure that
"johnny-come-latelies" are excluded.

Tensions are being whipped up further in Matabeleland, where allegations of
tribalism, pitting Ndebele supporters against Shonas, are resurfacing. Zanu
PF secretary for the commissariat, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, has accused Sibanda of
mobilising youth in Matabeleland to beat up former PF Zapu Ndebeles and
firing Shona-speaking civil servants working in the region. Sibanda has
refuted the allegations, dismissing them as "nonsense". Instead, he accused
Zanu PF politburo members from Matabeleland of pursuing personal interests.
"They have amassed so much personal wealth and they now forget where they
came from," said Sibanda. Elsewhere in the country, several Zanu PF MPs are
fighting to retain their seats. In Beit Bridge, Minister of Home Affairs
Kembo Mohadi is embroiled in a two-pronged assault to fend off contenders.
He has been accused of abusing his position to push his challengers out of
the race. A week ago he was reported to have ordered the detention of war
veteran Samuel Mlaudzi during a campaign rally. In August Mohadi was accused
of ordering the arrest of acting Bulawayo provincial administrator, Edson
Mbedzi. Mbedzi was acquitted of stealing farm equipment. In Masvingo
Central, Eddison Zvobgo Jnr is pitted against the party's provincial
chairperson, Daniel Shumba. Zvobgo is reported to enjoy the support of
several senior party officials, including retired Air Marshall Josiah
Tungamirai and national commissar Elliot Manyika.
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Zim Online

TSVANGIRAI GOES ON THE OFFENSIVE
Mon 25 October 2004

      JOHANNESBURG - Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan
Tsvangirai kicks off a Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) tour to
drum up support for electoral reforms in Zimbabwe with a meeting with
President Thabo Mbeki in Pretoria this morning.

      Tsvangirai arrived in Johannesburg on Saturday for the meeting which
should have been held last night but was postponed to today after Mbeki
delayed his arrival from Zambia yesterday.

      Mbeki's spokesman Bekhi Khumalo confirmed the expected meeting today
but declined to discuss the agenda of the meeting preferring to only say it
was part of the ongoing meetings between Mbeki and the Zimbabwean political
leadership to help in the "Zimbabwean political process".

      MDC secretary-general Welshman Ncube, who is part of Tsvangirai's
delegation, said he was also not at liberty to disclose what they plan to
tell Mbeki this morning because pre-empting the meeting would be
undiplomatic.

      He nonetheless said the whole purpose of the regional tour was for
Tsvangirai to meet regional leaders and update them on the situation in
Zimbabwe since he is now free to travel.

      Ncube said from South Africa, Tsvangirai would proceed to Mauritius
for a meeting with that country's Prime Minister Paul Berenger. Other
meetings are being scheduled with leaders of Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana and
Tanzania.

      After exhausting the regional tour, Tsvangirai will venture further
inland to meet other African Union leaders who can influence President
Robert Mugabe to reform.

      Tsvangirai has not been able to travel abroad since February 2002 when
he was arrested on trumped up charges that he plotted to assassinate Mugabe.

      The Zimbabwe High Court acquitted Tsvangirai of the high treason
charge.

      "Since he (Tsvangirai) is now able to travel, the idea is for him as
leader of the party to be able to reach the SADC leadership on the situation
in Zimbabwe," said Ncube. "We want to ensure that we don't lose the window
of opportunity to resolve the Zimbabwe crisis
      through holding a legitimate election in March 2005."

      Though he refused to divulge the details of what they plan to tell
Mbeki, ZimOnline is authoritatively informed that Tsvangirai and his
delegation will tell Mbeki and other regional leaders that Mugabe hasn't got
the slightest intention of complying with the new SADC norms on free and
fair elections.

      Pressure should thus be brought to bear on the ageing Zimbabwean
leader to comply and Mbeki should take the lead. Sources say Tsvangirai and
his delegation will explain to Mbeki in detail how electoral reforms
proposed by Mugabe fall far short of the SADC norms.

      Mugabe has proposed setting up an "independent" electoral commission
appointed by himself with no input from the opposition. He has also proposed
reducing polling from two to one day and using transparent ballot boxes.

      The MDC has dismissed these reforms as cosmetic. - ZimOnline.
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Zim Online

COSATU leaders face stormy reception
Mon 25 October 2004

      HARARE - The Zimbabwe government is understood to be planning to
deport Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU) leaders as soon as
they arrive in Harare later today against advice by the government not to
visit the country, sources told ZimOnline.

      In a move likely to test relations between Zimbabwe and South Africa
to the limit, state security agents will await COSATU vice president, Joe
Nkosi, and his 21-member delegation at Harare international airport and put
them on the next flight out of Zimbabwe.

      "The plan is to intercept COSATU officials at Harare airport and tell
them politely that they are not welcome here (in Zimbabwe) and send them
back with the next available flight," a senior government official said.

      Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi, in charge of Zimbabwe's police and
immigration departments could not be reached for comment on the matter.

      Nkosi could also not be reached for comment but Zimbabwe Congress of
Trade Unions secretary general, Wellington Chibhebhe, yesterday said COSATU
would be visiting Zimbabwe despite Harare's objections.

      "The COSATU mission is purely a trade union affair and it is none of
the government's business to interfere with such issues," Chibhebhe said.

      COSATU is visiting Zimbabwe chiefly to verify reports of repression
against the country's labour movement and also to check on the human rights
situation in the country in general.

      The powerful labour movement, which is part of South Africa's ruling
tripartite alliance that also includes the African National Congress and the
South African Communist Party, is expected to meet all stakeholders in
Zimbabwe including, the ruling ZANU PF and main
      opposition Movement for Democratic Change parties.

      But the Zimbabwe government has objected to the mission saying the
groups COSATU plans to meet are anti-government and some of the issues the
South African trade union leaders wanted to raise were political and should
be handled through an agreed framework between Harare and Pretoria. -
ZimOnline
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The Herald

Met Bank, Agribank emerge leading partners

Business Reporter
TWO local financial institutions, Metropolitan Bank of Zimbabwe and the
Agricultural Development Bank of Zimbabwe have emerged as the leading
partners in the ongoing land reform program.

Metropolitan Bank has facilitated the procurement of capital equipment worth
billions of dollars such as tractors and combine harvesters while the Land
Bank has injected billions dollars to farmers for funding the 2004 /2005
farming season.

The land bank has also pumped over $200 billion to assist tobacco farmers.
Officials in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said they
expected other financial institutions to mobilise their efforts to ensure
that the ongoing agrarian reforms succeed.

The Metropolitan Bank has also clinched a multi-million dollar deal with an
Angolan Bank in a bid to re-capitalise operations and strengthen its
position on the financial sector.Under the agreement, the Angolan bank,
which can not be named pending regulatory approval from relevant
authorities, will inject a substantial amount in hard currency in exchange
of a 10 per cent equity in Metropolitan Bank.

The two banks will also exchange directors who will sit on the board of
directors for the respective financial institutions.

The agreement, which was signed recently in Angola will also lead to the
attachment of staff between the two financial institutions whose task will
be to spearhead financial projects for clients in both Zimbabwe and
Angola.It is envisaged that the deal would lead to the consolidation of the
group's position on the financial market.

Met Bank is also finalising discussions that would see a Malaysian Bank
snapping up a 20 percent stake in its local operations as part of efforts to
consolidate its operations.It is envisaged that the acquisition of the 30
percent stake by the two financial institutions will inject the much-needed
funds for the financial institution's growth strategy.

The financial institution has since repaid the $19,8billion loan, which it
borrowed under the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe's Troubled Banks' Fund.The deal
with the Angolan bank is expected to enhance trade between the two
countries.

Government has challenged businessmen from Zimbabwe to take up opportunities
in Angola following the end of the civil war in that country.The financial
institution, which has already opened opportunities for local businessmen in
Malaysia, will also co-ordinate trade projects between Angolan and Malaysian
businessmen.

Metbank's Malaysian operation is doing well with more local businessmen
taking trade opportunities in the Asian country.A number of business
delegations have already secured trade opportunities in Malaysia.

The financial institution has in the past sponsored trips to secure export
markets in Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana and South Africa.

The bank also secured a US$100million line of credit for the National Oil
Company of Zimbabwe (Noczim) for the procurement of petroleum oil from
Malaysia to bail out the country when foreign currency was scarce.

It also financed the purchase of buses by the Zimbabwe United Passenger
Company (Zupco), as part of efforts to alleviate transport problems in urban
and rural areas.

Metropolitan Bank assisted the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education in
structuring payment for student loans fees.

The bank posted satisfactory results for the six months ending June 30,
2004.

Attributable profits increased by 229 percent to $6,8billion compared to the
previous period last year.

Operating income increased significantly to $72 billion largely due to high
interests rates that prevailed during the first half of the year.

A substantial charge of bad and doubtful debts of $53,6 billion was made.
The Land Bank posted a $2,8 billion profit for the past six months of the
year.
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The Herald

Central Bank caught in OMO vicious cycle

Business Reporter
THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) is caught in a vicious cycle as it
continues to issue and reject Open Market Operation (OMO) because of high
interest rates offered.

Tomorrow the central bank floats another batch of OMO bills aimed at raising
$300 billion.

This follows the rejection of similar bills which were issued on October 19
and were all spurned as investors wanted high returns.

This made it the third batch of OMO bills rejected by the RBZ after another
batch was also turned down at the end of last month.

RBZ was on the money market on Tuesday last week with RBZ ZTB OMO Bills
valued at $300 billion for 181 days.

Total amount of bids submitted was $3 billion, with the lowest and the
highest bid rates quoted from 125 percent to 220 percent.

At this tender, all bids were rejected as it is against the grain of the
central bank*s endeavour to pull down interest rates.

Total bids for last week*s batch of OMO bills showed a marked decrease in
amounts raised, as a total of $4,2 billion was tendered at the beginning of
the month.

Interest rates for OMO bills which preceded those issued on October 18 were
within the 120 percent to 165 percent range.

This almost gave hope that at last the investors were realising that
interest rates were going down but the sudden and sharp increase is still
worrisome.

OMO bills were introduced in August in a bid to drain excess funds from the
market and maintain a stable interest rates regime in line with other
macroeconomic fundamentals.

A total of $15,6 billion was tendered for on September 30 and the highest
bid was 165 percent against a bottom line tender of 105 percent. OMO Bills
are special treasury bills introduced two months ago when a record $2,3
trillion in financial bills maturities was injected into the market and
threatened to destabilise its trends.

These bills also operate as attentive mop up instruments and avoid a
potential excessive growth in money supply through concessional financing
facilities.

The bills have special features which include being acceptable as collateral
for repo and overnight accommodation by RBZ. They are redeemed and payable
to the central bank on maturity and are also a bearer instrument.

Potential investors in the bills include corporate bodies who are expected
to invest amounts in multiples of $100 million dollars.

Individual investors in the bills are expected to invest amounts in
multiples of $1 million.

Pension funds, provident funds, insurance companies, life mutuals,
commercial banks as well as individuals have been invited to invest in the
bills.
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News24

Freed Zim men tell of jail hell
24/10/2004 23:23  - (SA)

Erica Gibson

Pretoria - "No one can live like that," says Pius Kanjowa, one of the two
mercenaries (of a group of 67) released shortly before the weekend in
Zimbabwe for humanitarian reasons.

Kanjowa, 45, and Leratu Eselumu, 46, both former Koevoet members from
Namibia, were wheeled into the arrivals hall at Johannesburg International
Airport in wheelchairs on Saturday morning.

They have been living in South Africa since 1990.

Kanjowa seriously injured his foot in prison and Eselumu has had
tuberculosis for several months.

Kanjowa said: "Sometimes up to seven days would pass without our having a
drop of water to drink or to flush the toilets with. A lot of people die
there because it is so dirty."

In the prison hospital where they were treated things were not much better.

They said patients who were not too sick had to piggy-back the ones who
could no longer walk.

Eyes glassy from fever

Eselumu, who speaks only Ovambo, said: "The medicine they gave us didn't
help at all."

He held grimly on to a battered plastic packet containing his few
possessions. His eyes were glassy from fever.

The two men were returning to their homes - Kanjowa to Brits and Eselumu to
Warmbaths - to see their families before going for medical treatment.

Their attorney, Alwyn Griebenow, said the South African lawyer for Simon
Mann, the so-called mastermind behind the coup plan, would take them home
and give each a sum of money to "get going again".

When Ngave Muharukua, 35, another member of the group, died in prison,
Mann's lawyers paid for his remains to be taken to Namibia.

Mann is still being held in a single cell in Chikurubi and his Zimbabwean
lawyer ensures that food is taken to him in prison every day.

The rest of the men live on a helping of porridge in the morning and rice in
the afternoon and evening.

Kanjowa said that before the men were arrested in Harare on March 7 this
year he owed only R19 000 on his house.

After several months without an income, he has now lost his house and
furniture.

He still maintains most of the men imprisoned in Zimbabwe thought they were
on their way to the Democratic Republic of Congo to work as security guards
at a mine.

Slept in room with bed, toilet

"It was only in court that we heard we were supposedly mercenaries on our
way to Equatorial Guinea to stage a coup. Now, we're going to battle to find
work again."

Kanjowa, with clean-shaven head and a neat goatie, said with a broad, smile
that on Friday evening after their release, he had slept in a hotel room "in
a soft bed with a toilet AND toilet paper close at hand" after months on a
bare concrete floor.

According to him, as many as 10 of his friends were sick in Chikurubi Prison
because of malnutrition and bad hygiene, but Griebenow says there is no
possibility of further releases at present.

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The Herald

District appeals for TV, radio reception

From Bulawayo Bureau.
COMMUNITIES living in the new district of Mangwe along Zimbabwe's border
with Botswana have complained of lack of Zimbabwean television and radio
reception, saying they were missing out on important information on the
state of affairs in the country.

The complaint was made by traditional leaders from Mangwe and Zanu-PF
officials who attended a meeting at a primary school in Brunapeg in Mangwe
addressed by the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National
Housing, Dr Ignatius Chombo, on Saturday.

They said the news and entertainment they were getting was from television
stations in Botswana and South Africa.

"We do not get to see what happens elsewhere in our own country.

"Something should be done about this,'' said one of the concerned
traditional leaders.

His point was buttressed by the Zanu-PF secretary for women's affairs in the
ruling party's politburo, Cde Thenjiwe Lesabe, who attended the meeting
together with another politburo member, Cde Angeline Masuku, who is also the
Provincial Governor for Matabeleland South.

"There is need for people to have access to both Zimbabwean television and
radio in this area, Cde Minister, and we implore you to take up the matter
with the relevant authorities. We know you are an action-oriented man.

"At the same time, however, we would like to point out that in the areas
where there is access to Zimbabwean television, we now have 75 percent local
content which is good, but some of the dances which we are subjected to as
part of that 75 percent local content are not in synch with our culture.

"The young people should wait for us to die before they get an opportunity
to dance in the manner which we have seen some do, which is against our
norms,'' Cde Lesabe said in an apparent reference to the explicitly
suggestive dancing by some upcoming musicians.

In response, Dr Chombo said he would take up the matter about lack of
television reception in Mangwe with the Minister of Information and
Publicity in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Professor Jonathan
Moyo.

"I will present your case to him,'' he said.

Dr Chombo said it was important for people in the area to be informed of
developments in the country.

Some of the programmes and information from the stations in the two
neighbouring countries might be anti-Government vitriol spewed by opposition
forces parroting the views of their masters - Britain and the United
States - against Zimbabwe.

On the "sexually suggestive dances'' on Zimbabwean television, Dr Chombo,
said it was up to the elders like Cde Lesabe to teach the young on how these
dances go against the grain of "our culture''.

"Do not wait to die. Talk to the young people. Although culture is dynamic,
it does not mean it has to be eroded and replaced by other cultures.

"We have to maintain the core values that make us what we are,'' he said.
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The Herald

Ndlovu to establish open university

PROMINENT educationist, Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, plans to establish a private
open learning university next year.

Dr Ndlovu revealed this during a speech and prize-giving ceremony at Msiteli
Secondary School in Mpopoma on Saturday.

The proposed university's charter has already been approved by the National
Council for Higher Education and is awaiting Presidential assent.

Dr Ndlovu said teachers should be involved in efforts to improve their
educational qualifications.

He said the university would use the telemetric teaching method, whereby
students will be learning through the Internet and other electronic means.

The open learning centre would have an enrolment of 50 000 students and
centres countrywide.

Dr Ndlovu said the institution would offer degree programmes with a bias
towards business and science technology.

He said the college would work in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Computer
Institute in the delivery of lectures.

Speaking at the same occasion, Msiteli Secondary School headmaster Mr
Bernard Zulu said the establishment of a computer centre at the school would
benefit students.

Dr Ndlovu made several donations to the school including $100 000 to the
school choir, $60 000 and a shield to the best science student at the school
and $1 million to the computer centre. - Bulawayo Bureau.
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The Herald

Youths should take interest in national politics: Moyo

From Bulawayo Bureau
YOUTHS should take an active interest in the politics of their country as it
has a direct influence on their lives, the Minister of State for Information
and Publicity in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Professor Jonathan
Moyo has said.

He was speaking in the Matabeleland South provincial capital of Gwanda last
Friday at a speech and prize-giving ceremony held at Gwanda High School,
where he was the guest of honour.

"Sometimes you hear people telling you (young people) that you should have
nothing to do with politics as it does not affect you.

"That is not true. Politics affects you,'' Prof Moyo said.

He said it was important for young people to understand the history of their
country instead of just embracing and parading that of some Western
countries like the United States.

"As young people you must understand that over the years we have become a
united nation and that is the legacy that has been given to us by the
founding fathers of our nation: the late Vice-Presidents, Cde (Joshua
Mqabuko) Nkomo and (Simon) Muzenda and President Mugabe.

"You are told that this has nothing to do with you. That is wrong,'' Prof
Moyo said.

He said young people should have self-belief and be patriotic.

"You find some young people here in Zimbabwe putting on T-shirts displaying
an American flag and a picture of George Washington.

"Do you know who George Washington was? He was the President of the United
States over 200 years ago and you are told you by some people not to wear
T-shirts with a picture of President Mugabe. I was happy to see your Imbube
group putting on T-shirts written 'Mqabuko' at the back. That is your legacy
and you should be proud of it.

''There is nothing anyone is going to do about the fact these are the
founding fathers of our nation,'' Prof Moyo said.

He said even the opposition bent on destroying the country could not change
that piece of history.

"They can call themselves movement for this (or that), but they will keep
moving but will not change our founding fathers. We have President Mugabe
and others as our founding fathers. That is your heritage,'' Prof Moyo said.

He said there was nothing wrong with young Zimbabweans going to learn in
Western countries like Britain as long as they came back to develop their
country.

"However, we do not want you to be modern slaves there. If you have a
scholarship you can go and learn, but remember to come back home because
there is no place like home,'' Prof Moyo said.

He also took the opportunity to donate three computers and a printer with a
total value of $29,5 million to Gwanda High School, where he also officially
opened a computer centre.

Prof Moyo also gave students who sang songs and recited poems with
revolutionary themes several hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as
donating $2 million to the school development committee.

A Gwanda-based businessman, Mr. Irvine Ndlovu of Woodward Industries, also
contributed $1,6 million towards prizes for pupils who excelled in their
studies and co-curricular activities at the school this year.
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The Herald

State gazettes education regulations

Herald Reporter
CHILDREN will not lose valuable school time when their teachers strike
illegally since the Government has now gazetted new regulations that will
force schools to make up for the teaching time lost.

This comes in the wake of an illegal and unsuccessful strike called last
week by the minority Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe.

Most of the schools affected were in Matabeleland but an overwhelming
majority of teachers ignored the strike call, which had been rejected by the
larger and more professional Zimbabwe Teachers Association, which is deeply
involved in serious negotiations on new salaries for teachers.

Under the new regulations published last Friday, the Minister of Education,
Sport and Culture may require the responsible authority of any school
affected by unlawful job action to start any school term on a date earlier
than the first day of the term. This would be for the purposes of making up
for the time lost during the unlawful collective job action.

This shall be notified through a circular issued by or on behalf of the
ministry's secretary in the name of the minister and addressed either
directly to the responsible authority concerned or indirectly through a
person employed by the ministry who is responsible for monitoring the
affected school.

Any responsible authority of a school that refuses to comply with the
requirement shall be a guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not
exceeding $100 000.

According to the Education (Terms for Government and Non-Government Schools
Affected by Unlawful Collective Action) Regulations, "unlawful collective
action" means any collective action by teachers that causes classes to be
abandoned or postponed.

This is regardless of whether the action is initiated by any national
association or union of teachers or whether it is in pursuance of any
employment grievance, but it does not include a lawful job action sanctioned
under the Labour Act.

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