Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: Sparks to fly as MDC bigwigs meet | Daily News

THE MDC’s national standing committee (NSC) meets in the capital city tomorrow to finalise congress preparations amid serious jostling for positions among party bigwigs. Slated to run from May 24 to 26, the elective congress is the first to be held following the death of the party’s founding leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, in February last year.

Tsvangirai, who succumbed to cancer of the colon, was replaced by 41-year-old Nelson Chamisa who has been leading the MDC since then. Chamisa’s legitimacy as the MDC leader has always been questioned by detractors who argue that he “grabbed” power when Tsvangirai was on his death bed.

This led to one of Tsvangirai’s three deputies jumping ship to form her own MDC—T outfit. Elias Mudzuri — one of the three deputies — was also left disgruntled as he felt side-lined by the youthful MDC leader while secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora now believes that it is about time he assumes leadership of the party.

With congress dates now set, MDC insiders told the Daily News that emotions were running high ahead of the gathering.
Tomorrow’s NSC meeting comes as three antagonistic camps have emerged — one rallying behind Chamisa to remain at the helm of the MDC, the other gunning for Mudzuri while another is behind Mwonzora.

So bad have the relations become in the party that its deputy national chairperson Tendai Biti reacted angrily to recent suggestions by Zanu PF deputy youth secretary, Lewis Matutu that Mwonzora will upstage Chamisa. Biti viewed the suggestion as Zanu PF’s way of endorsing Mwonzora and vowed that the MDC would resist anyone seconded to the party by their political nemesis.

Mwonzora did not take lightly the fact that Biti had called him names when he described him as a Zanu PF-linked “nincompoop”.
The MDC secretary-general has made it clear that he will raise the matter in tomorrow’s crunch meeting. “We are working well together (with Chamisa), but some senior leaders in the MDC are resorting to hate language. I am going to raise it in the NSC we are holding this weekend,” Mwonzora was quoted saying at the weekend.

Mwonzora who had previously been keeping his cards close to his chest has expressed his desire to challenge Chamisa in a contest that could make or break his political career. Already, the incumbent Chamisa has received endorsements from several party structures including provincial wings, with the youth league going as far as declaring war on anyone who would dare challenge the youthful opposition leader.

Several party heavyweights have also thrown their weight behind Chamisa with those who are seen as potential challengers likely to face a hostile reception in the run-up to the congress and at the elective indaba itself.

MDC vice president Morgen Komichi said it is difficult to predict what will happen at the meeting. “We cannot judge what will happen before the matter is brought up for discussion but what I can tell you is that the party encourages dialogue first because you may realise that the issue is not as serious as you think,” Komichi said.

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Source: 'Poor infrastructure derails investment' | Daily News

Poor road network infrastructure and unavailability of water is chasing away investors who want to invest in Zimbabwe, District Development Fund (DDF) permanent secretary James Jonga has said.

In an interview with the Daily News during a tour of road works in Harare and Bindura, Jonga said the progress on road repairs and maintenance was worryingly slow. Road engineers, however, said it was actually the price hikes and fuel shortages that were slowing down their projects.

“It is not a declaration of excess of capacity for use to address issues of an urban nature; it was more to do with a rescue operation. President Emmerson Mnangagwa came up with the business mantra ‘Zimbabwe is Open for Business’ and the offices where that business is conducted are Mukwati, Munhumutapa, Chaminuka and Kaguvi.

“If our visitors, the ones that we are actually inviting cannot access the buildings because of the chipped roads surely we will not get the millions that we are trying to attract. They will just be discouraged to come to those buildings where they cannot even park their cars and when they climb up the building they cannot find water. This is where DDF has had to come because of the interventionist nature of our operations,” Jonga said.

He added that the DDF as a department in the President’s Office intervenes in such instances and as soon as it becomes necessary.
Jonga, however, emphasised that DDF is not ignoring the communal areas but was trying to ensure that the business mantra being projected is actually softened in terms of its approach.

The DDF secretary said while there were road works being carried their pace was too slow and that was worrisome. “There is a bit of urgency that needs to be exerted; we are not so comfortable with the speed at which we are progressing but we are cognisant of the challenges in terms of material availability and maintenance of machinery, lack of spares and others; all which will be addressed by the taskforce,” he said.

Last week, secretary in the office of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s office, Godfrey Chanakira said government would look into all issues raised and see whether they would extend financial support.

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Source: Zanu PF starts process  to oust Mliswa-Chikoka | Daily News

ZANU PF Mashonaland West provincial coordinating committee has commenced a process that will lead to the suspension of provincial minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka from her position in the party, the Daily News can report.

This was after the Zanu PF national leadership directed the regional structure to follow proper procedures as opposed to passing a vote of no confidence. A vote of no confidence had been passed against Mliswa-Chikoka by the province last month over allegations of corruption and abuse of office and creating parallel structures in her Hurungwe West constituency, among a litany of other charges.

But provincial chairperson Ziyambi Ziyambi told the Daily News yesterday that the ruling party’s national disciplinary committee had directed that the executive desists from using votes of no confidence to discipline errant officials. “What will now happen is that those with complaints against her will bring them forward and I will ask the provincial secretary for administration, if we are satisfied that there is a prima facie case, to then start the process of generating a prohibition order against her pending the disciplinary hearing,” Ziyambi said.

“It was realised that the method of votes of no confidence does not accord an accused the right to also defend him/her-self which is undemocratic.” Sources who attended the Zanu PF PCC at the weekend said calls for Mliswa-Chikoka’s ouster grew louder amid calls for the prohibition order to be issued this week.

“She is also accused of creating parallel structures in Hurungwe East bringing on board opposition elements including those that used to work with his brother (Temba) so we all agreed that by Friday this week we should be done with the process that we were asked to follow,” said a provincial executive member who did not want to be named.

Regional sources said Mliswa-Chikoka was being targeted for her allegiance to a faction aligned to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga. Contacted for comment, she laughed off the allegations saying she was being framed by her political rivals who are looking to tarnish her image.

“They have realised that I am not corrupt so they are trying to make up stories. They must be able to differentiate between party and government business. “Regarding my commitment to the party, my chairperson (Ziyambi Ziyambi) knows who I am and he is the one I follow,” Mliswa-Chikoka said inadvertently betraying the factional fights in the politically volatile province.

The Daily News can report that a number of Zanu PF officials now face an uncertain future over unproven charges that border on corruption and disloyalty to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
This is reminiscent of the Generation 40 (G40) versus Team Lacoste factional fights where the former was rallying behind former President Robert Mugabe’s continued stay in power while the latter itched for his replacement by Mnangagwa, then his deputy.

More than a year after G40 was decimated; Zanu PF officials are at each other’s throats again. Officials in various provinces accuse and counter-accuse each other of not doing enough to support Mnangagwa who has been under pressure from opposition forces ever since he controversially won the presidential election against MDC’s Nelson Chamisa in July last year.

The pressure has led to panic as senior officials blame each other for working with both internal and external foes to sabotage Mnangagwa’s efforts at reviving the economy.

The Zanu PF youth league opened the floodgates to votes of no confidence last week after they passed one against their leader Pupurai Togarepi and other national executive members including his deputy Lewis Matutu and secretary of administration Tendai Chirau.

The officials stand accused of stealing from the party, incompetence and treachery as well as not being up to the task of publicly defending Mnangagwa, who is under intense internal and international pressure over his government’s heavy-handed handling of fuel protests last month.

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The much-anticipated 2019 Monetray Policy Statement came and saw the Reserve Bank liberalizing the foreign currency exchange market. However, the black (or parallel) market rate remains a premium compared to the official rate, as the updated obtaining rates as of Tuesday morning  show. The current bank exchange rates for the RTGS$ today are as follows […]

Source: Govt tightens screws on teachers | Newsday (News)

BY EVERSON MUSHAVA

GOVERNMENT yesterday started public hearings to solicit people’s views on the establishment of the Teaching Profession Council (TPC) that will require teachers to seek an annually renewable teaching practicing certificate. The move, which could spell the end of trade unions, according to critics, was aimed at making it difficult for teachers to go on strike.

The Teaching Profession Council Bill contains a raft of changes in the regulation and professional conduct of the teaching profession that has for long been the preserve of unions.

According to the Bill, the teaching profession will now be regulated by an 18-member council, consisting of one representative from the Law Society of Zimbabwe, Association of Trust Schools, Public Service Commission, Correspondence and Independent Colleges, two members recommended by the Higher and Tertiary Education ministry, from the Department of Teacher Education and Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education, five registered teachers through an elected criteria set by council and five registered teachers from teachers’ unions, among others.

“A person shall apply to the council for registration as a teacher in the prescribed manner and form upon payment of the prescribed fee,” part of the Bill read.

“The council may, within 30 days of receipt of an application under subsection (I) grant or reject the application.”

The Bill added: “A teacher shall apply to the council for a practicing certificate in the prescribed manner and form upon payment of the prescribed fee. The council within 30 days of receipt of an application under subsection (l) and where the application meets such requirements as may be prescribed, issue the applicant with a practicing certificate. The council shall reject an application which does not meet the requirements of this Act, and inform the applicant, in writing, and give the reasons for the rejection.

On renewal, the Bill said: “A practicing certificate shall be renewed every year in the prescribed manner and form upon payment of the prescribed fee. A practicing certificate that is not renewed in accordance with subsection (1) is void. A certificate issued under this part shall contain such terms and conditions of the certificate as the council may determine.”

The council will have several functions that include registering of teachers, regulating the professional conduct of teachers, develop, maintain and improve appropriate standards of qualification in the teaching profession and promote continuing professional development among teachers as well as develop, promote and enforce international comparable teaching profession practice standard in order to improve the quality of education in Zimbabwe.

The council will also investigate allegations of professional misconduct on teachers and impose sanctions as may be necessary.

According to the Bill, the council shall appoint a registrar, who shall be its chief executive officer, on such terms and conditions as the council may determine.

The registration will recognise several classes of membership with each class of membership entitled to certain rights.

A person will not qualify for registration as a teacher under this Act if the person does not possess the prescribed qualifications, has, for any reason, ceased to practise as a teacher or been de-registered or has been convicted of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty under this Act or any, among a raft of reasons.

A teacher can have the practising certificate cancelled if found guilty of any professional misconduct; declared to be of unsound mind under the Mental Health Act; obtained the practicing certificate through fraud, misrepresentation or concealment of a material fact and commits an offence under this Act or contravenes the code of ethics, among other reasons.

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