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Tsvangirai, Mugabe strike deal on polls

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 16:50

GOKWE - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai Saturday said he and President
Robert Mugabe had agreed to hold elections next year and whoever lost should
not challenge the outcome of the polls.

Tsvangirai told about 5 000 people gathered to celebrate MDC-T's 11th
anniversary that the two leaders had agreed to take advantage of the
prevailing peace to hold elections that would put an end to the unity
government.

"When I last saw President Mugabe he said the prevailing peace was ideal for
us to go for an election and this time we agreed that whoever loses should
make way for the winner," Tsvangirai said.

Tsvangirai won the first round of the 2008 presidential election but did not
garner enough votes to secure an outright victory.He was stopped from
running in a run-off poll by an orgy of violence, which the MDC-T blamed on
the security forces.

Army generals have in the past vowed that Tsvangirai would never rule this
country as long as they were alive.

Yesterday the MDC-T leader said he and Mugabe hoped that peace would hold
until elections so as to produce a definite single winner.

He said elections were prescribed by the Southern African Development
Community (Sadc) and the African Union as the only way to deal with the
Zimbabwe question and his party was keen to follow that directive.

"We are going for an election as Sadc and the AU have said an election is
the only way to close this chapter," the Prime Minister said.

Mugabe has also been on a drive calling for elections next year and is
reported to have ordered Finance minister Tendai Biti to budget $200 million
for polls set for next year.

Half of that money will be set aside for a referendum on the new
constitution whose drafting is expected to be complete by April next year.

The other $100 million will be for holding presidential elections, which are
set to be held after the referendum.

On the new constitution, Tsvangirai said he and his party would return to
tell the electorate how to vote and if the wishes of the people were not
followed they could tell them to oppose it as they had done in 2000.

He said even if the constitution was drafted it would still have to be a
negotiated settlement as none of the parties had a two thirds majority and
so they could not pass it without compromise.

Already Zanu PF has threatened to campaign for a no vote if their stance on
land and homosexuality were not catered for in the draft.
MDC-T chairman Lovemore Moyo weighed in telling the party faithful to
prepare for elections as the country was inevitably drawing closer to
holding a vote.

"I do not know when elections are but what I can tell you is that stay
prepared as we will be going for them soon," he said.

Tsvangirai and Mugabe have been calling for elections next year despite
expert advice that free and fair polls were not possible next year.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has advised that a proper voters'
roll can only be ready in 18 to 24 months making holding of  credible
elections next year impossible.

However, the Prime Minister and the president have defiantly said they
wanted elections next year as the inclusive government was untenable.

Meanwhile, the co-Minister of Home Affairs Theresa Makone revealed that a
junior ranking police officer had written to Tsvangirai ordering him to
cancel the party celebrations.

But that order was defied as the MDC-T went ahead with the celebrations
without any incidences.

Party supporters from all over the country converged at an open ground at
Gokwe Centre for the day-long celebrations.

BY NQABA MATSHAZI
 


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Kaseke in fracas over Akon bill

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 16:53

ZIMBABWE Tourism Authority (ZTA) chief executive officer Karikoga Kaseke
(pictured) caused a scene recently when he threatened to beat up a hotel
manager after he was given a bill for lunch that was meant for visiting
music superstar Akon, The Standard has learnt.

Tourists and ordinary people who were milling around the hotel hoping to get
a glimpse of Akon and Sean Paul were surprised to see a fuming Kaseke
charging towards Meikles Hotel general manger Tinashe Munjoma.

Munjoma's crime was that he had asked Kaseke to pay for a lunch he cancelled
at the last minute when the hotel had prepared the meal.

"On Friday (September 3) Kaseke ordered that we prepare dinner for 250
guests which we did despite that it was at very short notice.

"But an hour before lunchtime he cancelled," said a senior hotel official.
The source said the Meikles Hotel management was not amused.

The following day, Kaseke allegedly ordered dinner for the same number of
people only to cancel it again at the last minute.

This prompted Munjoma to confront the ZTA boss to force him to pay the bill.

ZTA was supposed to pay about US$5 000 because lunch costs US$20 per person
at the hotel.

"Kaseke almost manhandled Munjoma and had it not been for people like
Phillip Chiyangwa who restrained him, he could have assaulted him," said the
official.

"It was very embarrassing because this happened in full view of everyone
including tourists."

The official said Kaseke threatened unspecified action against hotel
management once the international stars left the country.

Munjoma confirmed that there was a "misunderstanding" between Kaseke and
himself.

He said the tourism body finally agreed to settle the expense incurred by
the hotel during the preparations for the dinner, which was supposed to be
held at the Stewart Room.

"They have not paid but they said they would pay up," said Mujoma, who added
that Kaseke later came to him and apologised for his unbecoming behaviour.

"It's sorted out. He (Kaseke) later came to me and apologised. He said 'my
friend I am sorry I over reacted'."

Munjoma said Meikles billed ZTA about US$3 000 for the cancelled dinner.

But Kaseke yesterday blasted Munjoma for approaching him in the lobby of the
hotel in the presence of guests demanding payment.

The ZTA boss said he was embarrassed by Munjoma's behaviour as he did not
know that the lunch had been cancelled as the hotel was dealing with ZTA
senior official Isidore Tsatsa.

Kaseke, who denied ever apologising, said Mujnoma was unprofessional and his
days were numbered at the hotel.

"If it was not for Chiyangwa I could have kicked him. That manager
akajaidzwa," said Kaseke.

"That manager is gone, get it from me.

"How could he approach me in the presence of tourists?

"He must have waited for them to go and then we will deal with our in-house
issues."

The ZTA boss continued: "Why is the stupid manager not telling you that I
together with tourists spent one and half hours locked up in a lift at the
hotel?

"I gave them a lot of business but they want to play games with me. They
must know ZTA is the supreme tourism body."

Hotel officials confirmed that Kaseke, Chiyangwa, Munjoma, Miss Tourism and
some of Akon's group members spent over an hour locked in a lift at the
hotel.

Technicians had to be called to rescue them.

Business mogul Chiyangwa, who is a shareholder in Meikles, refused to
comment on the Kaseke-Munjoma fracas, referring questions to the duo.

He however confirmed that they spent some time locked up in a lift at the
hotel.

"The fairest comment I can give is that the lift jammed and it is normal
with a number of lifts in town these days," said Chiyangwa.

"The explanation given by technicians was that it was caused by the sudden
surge of people who thronged to see Akon and as a result the facilities
could not cope."

This was not the first time that Kaseke was involved in fracas at the hotel.

In 2007 he allegedly beat up a waiter who failed to give a scone he had
ordered on time.

Three weeks before the incident he had reportedly shouted at a security
officer and a cashier at the boom gate, saying he was "not to be treated
like an ordinary person" at the hotel.

BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE


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Mutambara scoffs at Ncube challenge

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 16:59

DEPUTY Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara says he is not worried about the
threat posed by MDC-M secretary general Welshman Ncube who is gunning for
the party's presidency at a congress slated for next year.
Mutambara was headhunted by Ncube after the MDC split in 2005 to lead the
smaller formation but his flirtation with politics appears to be nearing an
end with the new power struggles in his party.
Ncube who is not eligible to contest his current post has made it clear that
his next stop is the presidency.
He appears to be taking advantage of the growing discontent in MDC-M over
Mutambara's often miscalculated support for Zanu PF and frustrations over
the party's failure to grow its membership from the split.
There has been speculation that Mutambara and Ncube were already not seeing
eye to eye because of the leadership contest.
But the robotics expert said there was nothing odd about the secretary
general's ambitions as he was acting within the boundaries of the party's
policies.
"Our party is a democratic party, our country is a democratic country so we
as a party feel that we must now start walking the talk," Mutambara told SW
Radio in an interview.
"This means in my party, any individual has the right to run for any public
position including the president of the party.
"We are trying to move away from the politics where certain positions are
reserved or sacred and there is no competition in the party."
Some sections in the MDC-M want the party to focus on the Midlands and
Matabeleland regions where it won all its parliamentary seats in the last
elections, a situation that will favour a Ncube presidency.
Others are already talking about a potential alliance with the revived Zapu,
which is likely to emerge as a strong force in the region ahead of elections
next year.
Mutambara whose known political involvement before joining the MDC-M was
when he was a student leader at the University of Zimbabwe will bank on
support mainly from provinces outside Matabeleland.
On the other hand Ncube will be hoping that his experience as a founder
member of the original MDC will count in his favour.

BY OUR STAFF


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‘AirZim strike signals wider labour unrest’

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 17:02

THE five-day strike by Air Zimbabwe pilots that has crippled the struggling
national carrier’s operations could mark the beginning of work stoppages
across the wider economy as wage negotiations have collapsed, analysts have
warned.
Air Zimbabwe on Friday began hiring aircraft from South African private
airline Quaries after its pilots ignored an ultimatum to return to work
within 24 hours and pressed ahead with the job action.
The pilots who are being paid
US$1 200 a month are demanding their full salaries of US$2 500. They also
want the airline to pay outstanding school fees for their children.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) who represent some of the Air
Zimbabwe workers who are fighting a controversial retrenchment exercise said
the strike was a precursor of worse things to come.
“It is unfortunate that even the inclusive government is not doing much in
terms of addressing workers concerns not only at Air Zimbabwe but even with
the public service workers,” said ZCTU secretary general Wellington Chibebe.
“Workers are firing warning shots and government should take heed.
“There is simmering unrest that if not addressed will spread nationwide.
“Various sectors have reached deadlocks in wage negotiations and tempers are
rising hence more disturbances such as the Air Zimbabwe strike are
 expected.”
Chibebe said the rest of the workers at the airline were bound to join the
industrial action if the government did not step in early enough.
Civil servants who earn an average of US$165 a month on Friday gave
government 30 days to address their demands for a salary review.
A strike by government workers appears most likely as Finance minister
Tendai Biti has stuck to his guns saying the unity government is not
generating enough revenue for it to increase the wage bill any time soon.
Collective bargaining negotiations have also collapsed at parastatals and in
the private sector as employers tend to take their cue from government
salaries.
The ZCTU says most employers pay salaries below the poverty datum line,
which is estimated at about US$500.
John Robertson, an economic analyst said the Air Zimbabwe strike could have
been avoided had the airline’s board and management dealt with its employees
transparently.
“The situation might have been averted had management taken time to be open
with their workers,” he said.
“On the part of the striking workers, they need to be patient and understand
that the airline is in a very difficult situation that it cannot give them
special treatment.”
The aviation industry is in a crisis the world over because of the economic
downturn.
Air Zimbabwe’s problems have been compounded by poor management and the
decline of the country’s tourism industry in the past decade.
However, Robertson said the grounding of Air Zimbabwe flights would not have
any adverse effect on the economy, which is experiencing a slow turnaround
after a decade of uninterrupted decline.
“There have been relatively few flights at Air Zimbabwe in the first place,
so it won’t be a serious situation for the country,” he said.
“Most travellers will opt for flights with South African Airways, people
just have other ways of doing things.
“So basically this is a self-inflicted wound on Air Zimbabwe’s part.”
Another renowned economic commentator, Eric Bloch says while the pilots and
other Air Zimbabwe workers deserved sympathy, they had over reacted by going
on strike.
“It is a very counter-productive strike which is unwise considering that the
employer cannot pay them because it is an ailing airline,” he said.
“The strike is going to have negative effects on the tourism sector as many
tourists are currently stranded. When they go back home, they will have a
sad story to tell.”
The strike left a large number of travellers to various local, regional and
international destinations stranded.
Bloch said the aggrieved pilots did not follow procedure in terms of the
Labour Relations Act as one letter to management was not enough.
“This action on the part of the pilots circumvents the provisions of the
law, therefore management has no alternative but to institute the relevant
disciplinary action,” Bloch said.
Chibebe said there had been a lot of political interference at the airline
which complicated wage negotiations.
“The ZCTU tried to engage top management but the management was not prepared
to enter into any negotiations or accept any other advice,” the ZCTU boss
said.

BY KUDZAI CHIMHANGWA


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Early elections: can Zimbabwe pull it off?

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 18:44

IF President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai have their
way Zimbabwe will have another round of elections next year but they will
need to work overtime to convince skeptics that the time is ripe.

It's been two years since the country held what was widely described as a
sham election when Mugabe ran unchallenged in the June 27 2008 run-off poll
and little has changed in the country's political landscape.
Despite the formation of a unity government, the security forces who are
blamed for the violence that forced Tsvangirai to withdraw from the run-off
election are yet to reform and nothing has been done to clean the voters'
role.
The national healing programme is yet to take off and more importantly the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has made it clear that it does not have
the resources to hold elections in the near future.
This has left many Zimbabweans asking who will benefit from an early
election.
Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo said the party was only following the
constitution and the country must "scrounge for resources" to hold the
polls.
The lifespan of the inclusive government formed in February 2009 after an
impasse brought by the inconclusive elections ends next year but the
coalition partners can still extend the negotiated settlement.
"We believe all the requirements such as a new constitution will be in place
next year and there is no reason to delay the elections," Gumbo said when
asked why Mugabe appeared desperate for early polls.
Trevor Maisiri of the African Reform Institute believes Zanu PF is eager to
have an early election to prevent its opponents mainly the MDC-T from
benefiting from substantial reforms that have been brought about by the new
government.
Besides establishing the non partisan ZEC, the parties are also in the
process of introducing a raft of far reaching electoral reforms and have
opened up the print media to private players.
The little economic gains made on the economic front have also been
attributed to the entry of the two former opposition MDC factions into
government, making it harder for Zanu PF to justify its continued hold on
power.
"I think the whole issue about an early election for Zanu PF is based on the
understanding that the electoral framework that existed since 2000 has not
changed much," Maisiri said.
"Zanu PF may fear that the coming years may actually bring effective
electoral reforms which may make the terrain difficult for the party to win
elections.
"Therefore an early election is attractive to the party due to the stagnancy
of the aspired electoral reforms."
The MDC-T, the biggest opposition party to emerge since independence is
currently battling against factionalism and Zanu PF might see it as another
potential plus in the event that elections are called.
But Maisiri believes it is the improving economic and political climate that
Zanu PF is most worried about.
"Further sustenance of the government of national unity may likely give the
MDC-T more perceptional gains from the public as well as influence any
governmental access which could give them more clout in elections," he said.
"Zanu PF may be thinking of putting a stop to the MDC-T gains as early as
possible."
Tsvangirai's calls for elections next year have been punctuated with several
demands such as the completion of the constitution making process and the
setting up of a monitoring system by the Southern African Development
Community.
However, University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer Eldred
Masunungure believes Mugabe and Tsvangirai are politicking as they know that
their parties are not ready for elections anytime soon.
"Politicians are fond of making rhetorical statements with no relation to
what is happening on the ground," he said.
"I doubt whether any of the political parties are ready for elections now or
next year.
"I tend to take such statements with a heavy pinch of salt. They could be
doing this so that their supporters are in a permanent election mode."
Masunungure said calls for elections next year could also be an expression
of frustration by both Tsvangirai and Mugabe on the way the inclusive
government was operating.
Zanu PF and MDC-T have failed to find common ground on a number of issues in
their Global Political Agreement including Mugabe's refusal to reverse the
appointments of Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General
Johannes Tomana.
The veteran ruler has also refused to swear in MDC-T treasurer Roy Bennett
as deputy agriculture minister while the issue of the appointment of new
provincial governors has emerged as another major bone of contention.
"Each party has its grievances because they have their own views on how the
country must be governed," Masunungure said. "So the call for elections
could be an expression of those frustrations."
Several civic groups have counselled against elections before a new
constitution and a comprehensive national healing programme.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti said the country would need at least US$200
million to hold early elections, an amount that the government would
struggle to raise.
Government is currently battling to raise US$8 million badly needed for the
stalled constitution making process.

BY KHOLWANI NYATHI


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Location of school near airport runway raises eyebrows

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 17:16

THE recent plane crash at a Mt Hampden school was just a tip the iceberg
amid revelations that a number of crashes have occurred at and around the
institution, which was constructed without following aviation procedures.

Authorities have called for the relocation of Cornway College School, which
has an enrolment of about 750 pupils. The school is built on the same side
with Charles Prince Airport runway, with aviation authorities warning that
more crashes could occur at the school.
Already it is reported that the August 27 accident was the second in a year
and there are calls to have the school relocated if fatalities are to be
avoided.
Sources revealed that the owners of the school had powerful political
backing and this had seen them building the school in the vicinity of the
airport, without regard to protestations and warnings from aviation players.
Commercial and General Aviation Association of Zimbabwe president,
Nkosinathi Sibanda warned that the location of the school was a hazard and
there was the ever-present risk that more accidents would occur.
"When the first accident occurred the children had left the playground 10
minutes earlier, so imagine what could have happened if the crash had
occurred earlier," he said.
Sibanda contended that before allowing the school to be built, authorities
should have consulted the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ).
He said his association had since made representations to the Parliamentary
Portfolio Committee on Transport and Communications, CAAZ and proposed a
judicial commission of enquiry about the school, which caters for both
primary and high school pupils.
CAAZ chief executive officer David Chaota confirmed that concerns had been
raised about the school and he had since approached relevant authorities to
discuss the issue.
"We are talking to relevant authorities, including local government
concerning this issue," he said. "We are actually exploring possibilities of
having it relocated to a much safer place.
Chaota said he believed the owners of the school had the relevant
authorisation to construct the school, but were unaware that they should
have sought approval from CAAZ as well.
"But in looking at this, we have to consider and be sensitive to the
investments put in constructing the school although I do not want to say
much about this issue as we are still in discussions."
He said it was not odd to have a school located at a risky zone, saying
"things like that happen".
Chaota added that there was a lot of construction taking place in the area
where the school is located, including factory and other commercial
buildings.
"These things happen and we should not start pointing fingers at each other
because there have been accidents," he said. "What we need to do is explore
solutions."
Chaota challenged those who were complaining why they had been silent all
along, an issue which Sibanda dismissed saying that they had voiced their
concerns, but no one had listened.
An administrator at the school, Robert Mhlanga dismissed concerns that the
school was built at a wrong place, instead insisting that the owners of the
planes should ensure their aircrafts were well serviced.
"We are willing to engage but it's not a question of proximity to Charles
Prince as no airport is built in isolation from the community," he said.
Mhlanga said they had received permission from the Zvimba local council to
construct the school and everything was above board. His claims could not be
independently verified.
In the latest accident, a light six seater plane crashed in the grounds of
Cornway College injuring the pilot and a passenger.

BY NQABA MATSHAZI AND JENNIFER DUBE


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US$5 000 fine for ignoring veld fires

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 17:17

THOUSANDS of Zimbabweans who have witnessed countless veld fires raging in
the countryside and did nothing must count themselves lucky.
Few may know that by failing to assist to extinguish fire they were
committing an offence that could see them spending a year in jail with hard
labour or paying a fine of
US$5 000.
These are some of the punitive measures introduced three years ago through
the Environmental Management (Environmental Impact Assessments and
Ecosystems Protection) Regulations of 2007.
The seemingly tough regulations have been used sparingly since their
introduction but the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) seems to be
awakening from its slumber after another devastating fire season.
The fire season which starts on July 31 and ends on October 31 has seen
close to 10 deaths and the destruction of property worth millions of
dollars.
Last week, EMA fined the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ)
US$500 after a veld fire destroyed Old Bulawayo.
The fine was for failing to put fire pre-suppression measures in and around
King Lobengula's last capital resulting in the fire.
If NMMZ does not pay the fine within seven days, its directors are liable to
prosecution and may face a fine of up to US$5 000 per person and/ or up to a
year in prison.
Kingston Chitotombe, an EMA official in Matabeleland South was quoted
warning members of the public that it was an offence to ignore a veld fire.
"Even motorists should stop their vehicles and help to fight fires," he
said.
Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) executive director, Matuso
Dhliwayo said although such legislation was necessary, it was difficult to
secure convictions in its present form.
"If someone deliberately causes a fire that causes damage to property, then
that constitutes an offence and therefore questions of constitutionality
cannot be raised," Dhliwayo said.
"The challenge of proof pertaining to who caused the fire is the problematic
aspect. It should be qualified as it is difficult to prove."
He said one can drive past or ignore a veld fire and still escape conviction
by blaming extenuating circumstances.
"The instrument highlights aspects such as fire pre-suppression, suppression
and post-suppression measures," he said.
"The problem with this legislation is that it is difficult to get a
conviction.
"One is able to argue that they passed by the fire because they had no
protective equipment or knowledge on how to extinguish a fire hence they
feared endangering themselves.
"It is a generally progressive provision but it is difficult to get a
conviction," Dhliwayo added.

BY KUDZAI CHIMHANGWA

 


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Influx of foreign herbs worries Zinatha

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 17:52

TRADITIONAL healers are up in arms over an influx of South African herbs and
drugs stocked in most local pharmacies and have called on the government to
intervene to regulate the trade.
Gordon Chavunduka, the president of the Zimbabwe National Healers
Association (Zinatha), said they were irked by the uncontrolled importation
of the drugs, which are widely available in most pharmacies.
"We have approached the ministry of health, complaining over the issue," he
said. "We agreed that the government should draw up legislation on
traditional medicines from outside the country."
Chavhunduka, who described the situation as untenable, said importers of the
traditional medicines were taking advantage of a laxity in the country's
laws and there was an urgent need to address the situation.
"The government is very weak and they are taking advantage of the
lawlessness, since there is no law governing their conduct," he said.
The Zinatha leader said chief among the priorities of the government would
be to test the medicine, as there was a possibility that the drugs could be
poisonous.
He said in most cases these imported drugs were cheaper than the ones that
were manufactured locally and this had an impact on the livelihoods of a
number of traditional healers.
In the same vein, Chavhunduka said some traditional healers had since
resorted to supplying pharmacies with their own medicines, but there was
need to ensure that this was done in a proper manner that would not have
adverse effects on consumers.
Popular among these medicines is one known as zifozonke (all ailments),
which manufactures claim can cure all diseases.
A concoction known as Ngoka Eleven manufactured in Tanzania has also become
a hit at local pharmacies.
Its manufacturers claim it can treat 115 ailments ranging from yellow fever,
syphilis, stroke, cholera to mental confusion.
The side effects, which should be "a sign that Ngoka Eleven is working and
patients must continue using it" include "heat flashes, diarrhoea, increased
appetite, fatigue and changes in complexion or healthier looking."
Those who develop side effects are advised to "drink a lot of water, up to
12 glasses a day, take some pain killers, use milk and honey twice a day and
do some exercises."
There are also a number of lucky charms and aphrodisiacs coming in from
South Africa whose packaging promise all kinds of miracles.
Health minister, Henry Madzorera referred all questions to the director of
pharmacies in his ministry who was said to be out of the country.
Since the advent of the multi currency regime there has been an increase in
the importation of foreign drugs and food supplements from South Africa.
In most cases, these drugs would not be tested by the Medicine Control
Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ).
Efforts to get a comment from MCAZ were in vain, as officials were said to
be out of the office.

BY NQABA MATSHAZI


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US donates 5 000 male circumcision medical kits

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 17:54

THE United States government, through the US President's Emergency Plan for
Aids Relief (Pepfar), the US Agency for International Development (USAid)
and its partner John Snow International, supplied approximately 5 000
medical kits for use in Zimbabwe's growing programme to provide male
circumcision (MC) services.
A proven and important way to reduce the incidence of HIV, the World Health
Organisation estimates that male circumcision lowers the chance of
contracting HIV in males by up to 60%.
At present, only about 10% of adult males in Zimbabwe are circumcised.
The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare is expanding its pilot male
circumcision programme to make these services  widely available.
The ministry has identified a goal of circumcising 80% of adults (ages
15-49) and newborn males in Zimbabwe by 2015.
Estimates show that scaling-up medical MC services to reach 80% of all adult
and newborn males in Zimbabwe by 2015 would reduce the number of new adult
HIV infections by more than 80% by the end of 2025.
The circumcision kits are the first part of a US$1,5 million Pepfar donation
of medical supplies that can facilitate up
to 28 000 circumcision procedures.
Each kit contains the necessary equipment to perform a male circumcision,
including forceps, disposable scalpels, needles and gauze.
Other support is being provided by the United Nations Population Fund and
Population Services International (PSI), which is partnering USAid and the
Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to expand male circumcision across the
country.
"We are proud to support the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health in its efforts to
support and promote widespread use of male circumcision in the fight against
HIV and Aids," said USAid health development officer Peter Halpert.
"Male circumcision is a new and innovative way of preventing the spread of
HIV and Aids and we urge young men to consider the procedure."
USAid has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more
than 40 years.
The United States remains fully committed and engaged with Zimbabwe in the
fight against HIV and Aids through Pepfar, including the government's scale
up of antiretroviral treatment.
In 2010, the number of people receiving ARVs with direct Pepfar funding
increased to 59 000, up from 40 000 in 2009.
Pepfar's 2011 budget for Zimbabwe is increasing by more than 20% (US$10
million) over this current year to a total of US$57.5 million.
This follows a doubling of the Zimbabwe Pepfar budget from 2009 to 2010
(from approximately US$26 million in 2009 to US$47.5 million in this year).
Much of that increase came as part of President Barack Obama's pledge of
assistance to Zimbabwe.
Pepfar programmes are implemented in Zimbabwe by the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), USAid, and the Embassy's Public Affairs
Section (PAS), under the leadership of the US Embassy.

BY OWN CORRESPONDENT


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US$7,4 million for Harare sewage works

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 18:43

THE Harare city council has started rehabilitating obsolete equipment at the
Firle sewage works, which became almost derelict under the management of the
Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).
Council says it needs at least US$7,4 million to fully rehabilitate the
sewage works and end the now perennial problem of blockages.
"When we took over the plant nothing was operational, there was no
electricity and no activity was taking place at all," Town Clerk Tendai
Mahachi told journalists during a media tour on Friday.
"We have managed to pay US$1,3 million for the rehabilitation and hope by
march 2011 the whole plant would be fully operational."
Harare has faced outbreaks of typhoid and cholera due to potable water
shortages with some high-density suburbs such as Mabvuku and Tafara going
for years without running water.
Several studies have indicated that most of the city's underground water is
heavily contaminated with human waste.
The Firle sewage works were designed to treat 72 000 cubic metres of waste
water per day but now the plant receives more than 100 000 cubic metres per
day.
Harare waste water manager, Simon Muserere said: "The plant project is a
process but we are actually doing this to protect our lake (Chivero) and the
environment.
"The project will actually help in reducing the water treatment cost."
Water pollution has affected water quality and impacted negatively on public
health and the functioning of the ecosystems including the rising costs of
water treatment.
Council has managed to buy two high powered compressors to unblock digesters
and six mobile compressors.
Mahachi said: "We used to receive reports of about 200 blockages per day in
the high-density suburbs but now we are happy to say they can be as little
as 10 blockages per day.
"We have redesigned the blockage pipe and increased its diameter. This has
worked well and the lines are flowing smoothly."
Harare's sewage crisis was one of the symptoms of an economic crisis which
left the country close to collapse and many key infrastructure facilities
from roads to power plants badly in need of upgrade or repair.
Water shortage and dilapidated sanitation works have left Harare  stifled by
pools of open raw sewage and dirty public toilets.
The city has five sewage treatment works namely Firle, Crowborough,
Hatcliffe, Marlborough and Donnybrook.

BY PERPETUA CHIKOLOLERE


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Zim youths’ moment with Barack Obama

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 18:46

THE United States President’s Forum for Young African Leaders (PFYAL)
provided youth across Africa including representatives from Zimbabwe with an
opportunity to discuss common themes affecting the continent.
Zimbabwean youth leaders who attended the forum early last month revealed
that  climate change and entrepreneurship, HIV and Aids, governance,
empowerment and new information technologies as drivers of positive social
change came under discussion.
“The most common theme is that everyone was positive about the nations that
they are coming from,” said Sydney Chisi during a Food for Thought
presentation held at the US Embassy Public Affairs Section in Harare.
“They wanted to see change and wanted the best out of what they have today.”
Chisi, and co- speaker, Masimba Nyamanhindi, attended President Barrack
Obama’s Forum for Young African Leaders with women’s rights activist,
Cleopatra Ndlovu.
The forum brought together more than 100 young leaders from civil society
and the private sector representing 50 African countries.
The two youth leaders echoed this sentiment saying it was imperative for
Zimbabwean youths to start getting involved.
Chisi is the founder and director of the Youth Initiative for Democracy in
Zimbabwe (YIDEZ), which runs an academy for 18 to 35-year-olds focused on
developing leadership skills and empowering them to take action.
“Youth should be proud of the liberation of Zimbabwe and, indeed, the entire
Africa continent.
“However, young people should not allow our liberation war generation to
pollute the nationalistic and liberation war discourse.
“They should claim that discourse for their emancipation and move forward
the ideals of democracy, empowerment and non-racial societies that the
struggle for independence sought to achieve,” said Nyamanhindi, who heads
the Students Solidarity Trust (SST), a youth activist organisation working
with student activists.
“For a majority of unemployed African youth, it is time to embrace the
struggle for an accountable and transparent state, the struggles of respect
for the rule of law and the dignity of human beings.
“And it is time to fight the HIV and Aids scourge and promote the rights of
women,” said Nyamanhindi.
The two youth leaders said the summit also looked at other issues and
described as ‘refreshing’ insights from youth leaders representing other
countries.
They especially valued the discussions on empowerment, climate change and
the use of new information technologies to increase youth participation in
democracy and other governance issues.
“The most amazing thing was the ability of young people, a good example
being youth in Eritrea, to engage around the issue of climate change.
“They have done wonders around that, something that is a missing link in
Zimbabwe,” said Chisi.
He added, “as youth we need to engage in that because we are all going to be
victims in the near future.”
“As youth, we are the leaders of today, otherwise tomorrow might never
 come,” Nyamanhindi.
The two youth leaders bemoaned the lack of youth participation in the
current constitution making process being conducted by the Parliamentary
Select Committee.
Responding to questions from the audience, the two pledged, through their
organisations, to intensify outreach efforts to other youth located in
various parts of Zimbabwe.
“Youth have tended to do away with issues of national politics.
“For example, the constitution making process has indicated that youth are
not participating in the process,” said Chisi.
“For us to achieve youth participation, this generation should use
non-violent means to achieve our objectives.
“These objectives have not been carried forward after the war of
independence was won,” he said.
Responding to criticism in the local media about their participation in the
programme, Nyamanhindi said there was a lot of hype about the fact that they
met the US President.
“The whole purpose of the forum with President Obama was to share
experiences from our different regions and gain invaluable insight to our
varying contributions, in a small way, to societal change and development,”
said the former student leader.

BY OWN CORRESPONDENT


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Zanu Ndonga 'alive and kicking'

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 17:04

ZANU Ndonga says it has mobilised its structures to support devolution in
the ongoing constitution-making process as it is the only way ordinary
people can benefit from natural resources from their regions.
Reketayi Semwayo, the party's national chairman said some regions in the
country remain undeveloped despite having a lot of natural resources.
He accused businessmen and politicians of looting black granite from Mutoko
in Mashonaland East and diamonds from Chiadzwa in Manicaland province
without ploughing back the proceeds into the communities .
"Politicians are the ones benefiting from diamonds from Chiadzwa and not the
villagers from that area," said Semwayo.
"People must own their resources. We say no to a situation where resources
from one region are extracted to benefit another region."
He said it was unlikely that the outcome of the constitution outreach would
be representative of what people are saying citing cases of intimidation by
Zanu PF in rural areas.
Apart from that, he said, the exercise has not been publicised well enough
on national radio, television or in newspapers.
"There is little publicity about the constitution-making process," he said.
"Instead of Copac jingles people are being fed with Zanu PF jingles which is
very unfair."
Semwayo said Zanu Ndonga, which has written to three principals in the
inclusive government asking them to review the late Rev Ndabaningi Sithole's
hero status, said selection of heroes and heroines must not be the privilege
of one political party.
Sithole, who died in 1992 and was buried at his Freedom Farm in Chipinge,
was one of the founding fathers of Zanu PF in 1963 and contributed immensely
to the liberation of this country.
Semwayo said the party was on a membership recruitment drive ahead of next
year's planned elections.

BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE
 


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Zimbabwe’s fractious politics: Who rules the roost?

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 18:42

ANOTHER round of general elections is now almost certain next year and
analysts say Zimbabweans must brace themselves for a two-horse race between
Zanu PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai.
Despite the emergence of the revived Zapu led by Dumiso Dabengwa and Simba
Makoni’s Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD), the political landscape that prevailed
in 2008 when Zimbabwe saw the emergence of a hung parliament has remained
unchanged.
Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara’s MDC, which gave Zanu PF and the
MDC-T some challenge in the watershed polls has been on a steady decline.
Analysts who spoke to The Standard to conclude a series on leaders of
Zimbabwe’s “fringe parties” said a unity government could be a long-term
feature as no credible third force had emerged to challenge the two main
parties.
“Indeed the political turf in Zimbabwe has remained a two-horse race between
the two political giants,” said Jack Zaba, a political analyst.
“It seems that the emergence of a third formidable force is less likely,
especially in view of the apparent lack of organisational capacity to
mobilise voters in the smaller political parties.
“This failure to mobilise is even worsened by the inherent power struggles
and incoherence attendant to the same political formations.”
Both Zanu PF and MDC-T have of late been rocked by factionalism raising
questions whether they can better their 2008 performance.
Rejoice Ngwenya, a Harare-based analyst said although Zanu PF’s popularity
continued to dip, the party that has ruled Zimbabwe since independence
continues to control the levers of power.
By the time the country holds the next elections, a new independent
electoral body would be in place and chances are high that a new
constitution would have been adopted.
But the security forces, accused of orchestrating President Robert Mugabe’s
fight back in the run-up to the bloody June 2008 run-off poll remain
unreformed.
“The exaggerated role or dominance of Zanu PF on the electoral landscape is
because they control the institutions of repression,” Ngwenya said.
“In a completely accommodative plebiscite, Zanu PF would ordinarily
disappear save for a strong contempt of rural zealots poisoned by the allure
of more land and expropriated companies.”
Ngwenya said if the new constitution failed to produce strong independent
democratic institutions, Zanu PF may still feature but not well enough to
neutralise the dominance of MDC-T.
He said if the new constitution-making process was concluded successfully
the next election would be contested on issues rather than rhetoric.
The scenario will bring into the fore the newly revived Zapu, which is
riding on the crest of the discontent over Zanu PF’s centralised government
system.
Demands for devolution of power have dominated debate in outreach meetings
especially in Matabeleland and Midlands.
Trevor Maisiri of the Africa Reform Institute said those who were
discounting Zapu’s as a potential force in the next polls could do so to
their own peril.
“I see Zapu causing a major stir in the Matabeleland and Midlands regions,”
he said.
“I also see a likelihood of MDC-M instituting leadership change to replace
Mutambara so that a more anti-Zanu PF leader can rise for the party to form
an electoral alliance with Zapu.”
MDC-M secretary general Welshman Ncube has already indicated his willingness
to challenge Mutambara at the party’s congress scheduled for next year.
Ncube can no longer contest the secretary general’s post as the party’s
constitution only allows for two terms.
Maisiri said with Mutambara at the helm of the MDC-M there was a less
likelihood of an alliance with Zapu because he was considered to be more
favourable to Zanu PF.
“The eventual electoral alliance between MDC-M and Zapu in the aftermath of
Mutambara’s leadership will also cause major political shifts in the
Matabeleland and Midlands regions,” he said.
“If the constitutional permutations are anything to go by, we are likely to
have devolution become a constitutional provision.”
Zapu is unlikely to seriously push for the country’s presidency but
concentrate on its traditional strongholds of Matabeleland, Midlands and
Mashonaland West.
The analysts were unanimous that in the next elections Zimbabweans must also
consider parties that are outside the unity government, which has so far
failed to function properly mainly because the parties do not want to move
from their entrenched positions.
“Since Zimbabwe’s situation is peculiar because of the inclusive government,
the considerations of the electorate have to take into account issues of
which party was stalling the implementation of the Global Political
Agreement, which one made it a success or a failure,” said Takura Zhangazha,
a political commentator.
“The electorate must also consider parties outside of the framework of the
inclusive government and assess both their policy proposals as well as their
leadership credentials.”
In the last elections Zanu PF lost its majority in the House of Assembly for
the first time since independence to the MDC formations.
MDC-T won the most number of seats while Zanu PF dominated the Senate.
Tsvangirai with 48% of the first round of the vote emerged the winner
against Mugabe (43%) but did not garner enough votes to claim the
presidency.
Results of the poll were withheld by almost a month leading to protests that
the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission then led by now High Court Judge President
George Chiweshe had tampered with them.
The MDC-T leader was subsequently forced to withdraw from the run-off poll
after hundreds of his party’s supporters were killed in an orgy of violence
blamed on Zanu PF and the security forces.
The next election is likely to generate world wide interest and the Southern
African Development Community, which is the guarantor of the GPA, will be
heavily involved.
Going by the prevailing political developments Mugabe, Tsvangirai, Makoni
and Dabengwa will run for the presidency.

BY KHOLWANI NYATHI


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Cash boost for Zim statistical activities

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 17:52

THE African Development Bank has set aside US$2 million to support various
statistical activities in Zimbabwe as the country forges ahead with efforts
to provide up to date statistics for national development and policy
management.
The money is for the period 2009-2011.
The programmes for capacity building in statistics are conducted by the
Statistics Department of the bank which falls under the purview of chief
economist and vice-president of the AfDB, Zimbabwean Mthuli Ncube.
Ncube told Standardbusiness: "The activities and programme of the African
Development Bank will go a long way in rebuilding Zimbabwe's capacity in the
collection and reporting of statistics, all of which would lead to better
delivery on and monitoring of, development goals of the country."
AfDB has since 2002 supported statistical development activities in
Zimbabwe, under the bank's Statistical Capacity Building (SCB) programme for
its African member countries.
The rationale for the bank's support is to provide resources to restore
institutional and human capacity of the Zimbabwe national statistical office
to generate reliable and timely data for national development policy
management.
Consequently, support is continuing under the bank's SCB-2 for the period
2009-2010, with additional resources for statistical activities in Zimbabwe
from the Fragile States Facility and the Middle Income Countries (MIC) Fund.
AfDB is providing key support in seven areas which include national
accounts, processing of agriculture and livestock survey, National
Statistical Development Strategy (NSDS), Population and Housing Census
(PHC), Income Consumption Expenditure Survey, Infrastructure Statistics and
other statistical building capacity activities.
AfDB is providing technical assistance and financial support for several
activities, including ongoing economic surveys that need to be undertaken
before a complete set of preliminary national accounts for Zimbabwe for
recent years can be generated.
The processing of an agriculture and livestock survey would allow for firmer
estimates of national accounts for Zimbabwe and is budgeted for in the
Emergency Institutional Support Project.
There has been no disbursement of funds because of the lack of an
appropriate account to lodge funds in.
In 2006, AfDB provided financial and technical assistance to Zimbabwe to
design the NSDS, which facilitated the establishment of an autonomous
statistical agency (Zimstat), officially launched in February 2010.
The bank is processing funds from its MIC Fund for continuous support in the
implementation of the NSDS.
AfDB carried out a thorough assessment of Zimstat's state of preparedness to
execute a PHC in the 2010 round of census.
The bank has resources within its SCB-2 programme to provide assistance for
preparatory work as well as for data processing and analysis, Ncube said.
On infrastructure statistics, the bank is assisting the country to improve
availability of data (regarding the state of infrastructure in the country,
the associated costs and investment needs) in such sectors as energy, water,
ICT, roads, rails, ports, and air transport.
AfDB has already trained country officials and preliminary results are
expected to be out by early next year.
Zimbabwe however remains is barred from getting loans from AfDB because the
country has failed to settle its debt estimated at over US$400 million.
This means that the country is ineligible to access the US$30 billion the
bank has set aside to lend out to members in the next five years.
Last year, AfDB rolled out
US$9 billion to eligible members but Zimbabwe missed out because of the
debt.

BY NDAMU SANDU
 


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Sundayopinion: Sanity must be made to prevail

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 18:00

"We are enveloped in the politics of hate. The amount of hate that is being
preached today in this country is frightening. What Zimbabwe fought for was
peace, progress, love, respect, justice, equality, not the opposite. And one
of the worst evils we see today is corruption. The country bleeds today
because of corruption . . . Our country cannot progress on fear and false
accusations which are founded simply on the love of power.
"There is something radically wrong with our country and we (are) moving
fast towards destruction.
"There is confusion and corruption and let us be clear about it, we are
seeing racism in reverse under (the) false mirror of correcting imbalances
of the past. In the process we are creating worse things. We have created
fear in the minds of some in our country.
"We have made them feel unwanted; unsafe... The fear that pervades the
rulers has come down to the people and to the workers" said Joshua Nkomo at
the funeral of Lookout Masuku on the April 12 1986.
One would have thought Joshua Nkomo was reading into the future, if he had
known the trials and tribulations Zimbabweans were to go through since he
spoke these words. Following a controversial and inconclusive election
result in March 2008 between Zimbabwe's main political parties, Zanu PF lead
by Robert Mugabe, MDC-T lead by Morgan Tsvangirai and MDC-M lead by
Professor Arthur Mutambara, Zimbabweans were subjected to a political
arrangement they did not vote for, namely the Global Political Agreement
(GPA) which was signed in September 2008 brokered by the then South African
President Thabo Mbeki.
In that agreement the parties explicitly agreed to " dedicate themselves to
putting an end to the polarisation, divisions, conflict and intolerance that
have characterised our country's politics: They undertook to build a society
free of violence, fear, intimidation, hate, patronage, corruption and
founded on justice, openness, transparency, dignity and equality (Robert
Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai, Arthur Mutambara 21 July 2008)
The initial response to this government of national unity from Zimbabweans
was one of excitement and a sense of relief as it was a  marked departure
from the politics of polarisation that had become characteristic of
Zimbabwe.
At last Zimbabweans could begin the hard work of reconstructing Zimbabwe
without having to worry about the politics.
Here we had three political parties different in their outlook and
aspirations coming together into this political arrangement with a promise
to put Zimbabwe first. National interest one might say.
Two years later, punctuated by numerous trips to the Sadc facilitators
Zimbabweans are no way better off as they had imagined.
The three political parties, Zanu PF, MDC-T and MDC-M that signed the
coalition agreement have failed to implement the full text of the agreement
and therefore have failed to deliver on the promises made.
The blame game is the order of the day. They say when elephants fight it's
the grass that suffers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Whilst the
three political parties are playing the blame game, real lives are bearing
the brunt of it all. Zimbabweans have been presented with yet another false
dawn. The life span of the Global Political Agreement is coming to its
natural end. All the three parties have now lost any appetite to implement
the text of the agreement in its fullness.
The focus has now shifted to the Presidential and Parliamentary elections
that are due in the year 2011.
The politics of patronage that Joshua Nkomo decried have now began to rear
their ugly heads .The leaders of the three political parties are more
concerned about their political survival in the oncoming plebiscite.

Lloyd Msipa


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Comment: Property charlatans pose danger to cities

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 17:59

The crash of a small aircraft near a Harare school at Mount Hampden last
month was a poignant reminder of how important it is to follow town planning
rules when developing land.
The aircraft had just taken off from Charles Prince airport when it
developed a fault and crash-landed a few metres from the new school, Cornway
College. The pilot and his passenger missed death by a whisker. But what was
scarier was the possibility of the plane crashing into the school itself.
The result would have been disastrous if children were in the school grounds
or classrooms.
It turns out the school is standing on grounds where construction should not
happen at all. It is international law that nothing should be built on areas
adjacent to runways, under the approach and climb-out paths. But Cornway
College is built adjacent to the runway.
The recent crash is not isolated. It has been reported that it is the second
this year in the same area. What this means is that there is a real
possibility of a plane crashing into the school in the not-so-distant
future.
There have been calls, particularly by the Commercial and General Aviation
Association of Zimbabwe, to have the school relocated. The Civil Aviation
Authority of Zimbabwe has also said authority was not sought from it before
the school was constructed. The issue has been raised with the Parliamentary
Portfolio Committee on Transport and Communications to no avail.
Cornway College is a huge investment. It is probably the biggest property
development in the city in recent years making the idea of relocating it
ridiculous. The owners of the school are said to be powerful individuals
with political clout. It just may be that in the end it is the airport that
has to move!
What is worrying is that there has developed a trend in Harare and other
parts of the country in which pieces of land set aside for certain purposes
are being used for something else.
When settlements or cities are planned land is allocated for different
purposes; residential, commercial, industrial, recreational etc. There are
also wetlands where no construction should happen at all, but we are seeing
a lot of construction happening in these now.
Many people underestimate the importance of wetlands and equate them with
wastelands yet they are about the greatest centres of biodiversity
considering the variety of plant and animal life that survives in them. They
also save to purify the water we use for domestic purposes.
The trend of changing the uses of certain pieces of land seems, without
exception, to be driven by certain powerful individuals. Minister of Local
Government, Rural and Urban Development, Ignatius Chombo himself has been
reported to have changed the use of a certain piece of land in Borrowdale,
which had been set aside for recreational purposes, and turned it into a
residential area. Another property mogul, Phillip Chiyangwa, is also in the
process of changing the use of certain pieces of land from designated use to
other uses.
These changes may not be as potentially tragic as the Mount Hampden one but
the consequences may be long-term. Harare for example is comparatively a
young city with a small population.
In the next 20 to 50 years it might have population of five million which
would be more than twice the current population. Town planners had this in
mind when they designated big swaths of land for certain purposes.
Many more schools may have to be built as the population increases; more
shopping centres will be needed and so will schools.
It is imperative therefore that city fathers stand steadfast in denying
property charlatans the wanton tendency to change land uses for their own
enrichment at the expense of the residents whose heritage the city is.


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Editor's Desk: She tried to make a difference but . . .

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 17:58

The robots at the corner of Samora Machel Avenue and Leopold Takawira Street
were not working yesterday morning. It is a very busy part of Harare so the
traffic jam was enormous. Lines of cars extended for kilometres in all
directions. It took up to 30 minutes just to cross Samora Machel towards
Avondale.
One woman tried to make a difference. In the absence of the police she got
out of her car and tried to control the traffic. She was dressed in a bright
orange blouse making her very visible. But Oh boy! You should have seen the
contempt with which the motorists, mainly men, treated her. The question on
their faces as they disregarded her instructions completely was: "Who the
hell do you think you are?"
The motorists knew for sure their behaviour was not helping the situation;
indeed the jam became worse; but they were spiteful to this woman.
Many reasons could be advanced why the motorists did not obey the woman.
Most will obviously say she was not in police uniform and therefore had no
reason to be directing traffic. What they may not realise is that it's not
the uniform that directs traffic; she looked competent enough to do the job
suggesting she might in fact have been an off-duty policewoman.
The really reason for the motorists' disdain might well be that the
Zimbabwean psyche has been traumatised by years of political, socio-economic
crises that have inured them to their condition so that when someone emerges
and tries to make a difference his or her effort is not recognised.
Zimbabweans, especially those living in Harare have become a selfish lot and
every effort each one makes is purely for their own wellbeing.
Many bad things have happened to the capital.
One of them is that it has become a traffic jungle; what with the constantly
dysfunctional traffic lights and the commuter omnibus drivers who consider
themselves masters of the road. The police and the local authority have been
often half-hearted in their efforts to bring sanity to the roads. Recently
they carried out  something like "Operation 100% CBD decongestion Phase One
and Two", but it did not produce any tangible result. One of the reasons is
that without these omnibuses flooding into the city the police officers
would be the worse for it.

The city, which was once dubbed the "Sunshine City" is now a big rot. Not
only is it infested with rats but people throw  litre everywhere. There is
no longer any sanity. Pushcarts have become part of the traffic. People sell
all sorts of fruit from these carts and banana peels are now part of our
daily fare. But these pushcarts are not licensed to use our roads and their
owners do not even know which side of the road to use.
What happened to the men and women who used to clean our streets? In the
past it was refreshing at lunch to just take a walk in the Harare Gardens or
Africa Unity Square with its fountains. These have all disappeared and
Harare Gardens are now a rubbish dump.
This is all very depressing hence it is so important that we recognise the
few individuals who emerge now and again to try to make a difference.
What gave the woman the courage to park her own car and then try to manage a
busy intersection such as the one in question? It was the human's spirit's
love for order and decency!
Everyday there is someone out there who is trying to make a difference but
have we recognised them? If only I had the woman's details I would give her
a three-month subscription of The Standard.
On another matter, which demonstrates the complete opposite of our traffic
controller I was reading a truly sickening story about war crimes in
Afghanistan the other day. This world is full of depraved people.
Here are excerpts:
"Twelve American soldiers face charges over a secret 'kill team' that
allegedly blew up and shot Afghan civilians at random and collected their
fingers as trophies."
"In one of the most serious accusations of war crimes to emerge from the
Afghan conflict, the killings are alleged to have been carried out by
members of a Stryker infantry brigade based in Kandahar province in
southernAfghanistan."
"Investigators said Gibbs, 25, hatched a plan with another soldier, Jeremy
Morlock, 22, and other members of the unit to form a 'kill team'. While on
patrol over the following months they allegedly killed at least three Afghan
civilians."
"The Army Times reported that a least one of the soldiers collected the
fingers of the victims as souvenirs and that some of them posed for
photographs with the bodies."

Nevanji Madanhire


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Sundayview: Diamonds must benefit education

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 12 September 2010 17:56

There has been a huge upheaval in Zimbabwe over  Marange diamonds and like
other citizens, the student community is hoping for the creation of a
framework within which education can also benefit from the country's mineral
wealth.
The next few months will see momentous events in the calendar of Zimbabwe
education, which include the fact that O' level and A' level students will
write their end of course examinations with our sad memories of the hundreds
of thousands of students who failed to register for those examinations. This
is a resurfacing of the colonial day's usage of financial bottlenecking in
education.
In this period, universities and colleges will see the coming of new
students in the entrenched reality of low enrolment. The privatisation of
education has effectively trimmed  the number of the new students enrolling
in tertiary institutions.
At the same time, half-baked graduates who will have survived the financial
hide-and-seek because of the privatisation of education by the government of
Zimbabwe will be sent off at university graduation ceremonies into the job
market where focus will once again fall on the realities of educational
decay in Zimbabwe. This is because there will be glaring reflections on
quality and quantity.
It is in this reality that the students of Zimbabwe will make loud shrills
for part of the financial cake  from the sale  of Marange diamonds after the
Kimberley Process certification. The contextual framework of these benefits
should be in the form of an Education Levy which we see as necessary and
deserving of constitutional affirmation.
.
The rationality of and justification of such a fund can is understandable
when one considers that hitherto, the only sources of funding for most
students in tertiary institutions were the shallow pockets of their peasant
or worker-parents and guardians. I believe this to be an  abrogation of
government responsibility in the development of participative citizenship
and human capital in Zimbabwe.
The financial needs of education in Zimbabwe are too clear for anyone to
ignore. The fact that Schools Development Committees (SDCs) still require
the users of elementary education to pay  fees which is  a negation of  the
free education concept  as  parents are required to pay part of the teachers'
remuneration package in the guise of incentives and to contribute towards
the maintenance of infrastructure and acquisition of text books and other
teaching aids.  These contributions become  permanent properties of
government schools with the tacit approval  of the ministry and government.
This also means the government  may not be able to   exercise full control
in the institutions towards the achievement of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs).
Meanwhile, tertiary students are being made responsible through the
exorbitant fees for the day to day running of learning institutions
including meeting part of the lectures' allowances while they continue to
drop out of colleges. This is a  contradiction to the call for the
broadening of the idea of student support and with this extension, the
widening of what we call basic education in Zimbabwe to include the
undergraduate level in the context of the MDGs.
Botswana, another diamond producing southern Africa country, has
extrapolated its basic education to include the first three years in
secondary school in the context of its MDGs targets in education.
Besides our concerns in terms of student welfare, we realise the necessity
to start a fund that will assist in carrying out scientific research in
science-based institutions where students are sponsoring themselves for
mandatory research which is part of their learning programmes. The
installing of infrastructure and the constant maintenance of the same will
enable handicapped students to access important  areas of the learning
institutions in order to remove equity barriers across physical ability.
The challenges of education in Zimbabwe in terms of inaccessibility have led
to the churning out of a wide range of variously half-educated societal
strands in the country while we blindly celebrate the so-called achievements
in literacy terms. This  affirms nothing more than the fact that a majority
Zimbabweans can successfully write their names, which takes them nowhere in
the modern world.

Vivid Gwede is ZINASU National Secretary General.

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