“Only if a coach is to sit on a national selection panel then that person should have international experience, in terms of paragraph 2.2 of the directive”

This directive has infuriated a lot people especially those in the sporting fraternity particularly those who have ambitions to coach or sit on selection panels of national sports. This directive came from the Sports and Recreation Commission and has sucked in the Minister of Sports of Sports and Culture, Senator David Coltart.

The reason why the directive has been seen to be racist in nature is the fact that there are some sporting activities which here in Zimbabwe have been regarded to be for the minority and for the elite. This was due to the fact that it was very rare (and it is still) to see at swimming pool at a government school in Chitungwiza. I remember when I was in primary in my hometown Chitungwiza, there was only one school with a cricket pitch. Every Friday all primary schools in Chitungwiza would gather at St Aidan for a cricket knock out tournament.

Given such a scenario of scarce resources how would do you then expect to groom players who can play these kinds of sports at international level so that one day they can sit on the national selector’s panel? Should we keep on blaming the whites for making the sports elite especially after almost 33 years of independence?

The alleged row at Zimbabwe Cricket seems to have been sparked by the Minister’s directive and some black players who have been sitting on the Cricket Zimbabwe’s national selection panel feel the directive is targeted at them. By throwing in racist allegations these selectors are trying to play to the gallery so that they receive some political sympathy while covering up for the poor results. Regardless of color nobody wants to support losers and that’s the reason why the nation has supported Kirsty Coventry and the Black family without mentioning racism.

My suggestion to the SRC directive is for the government to invest in sports so that no sporting activity will be regarded to be for the minority or elite. Sports have become a source of livelihood and many dreams and aspirations have been to put halt because of lack of resources.

The world’s most expensive toilets were built in Namibia at a cost of N$700.00 or US$100 000 each. According to Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-Southern Africa) these Blair toilets were built in rural areas of Omusati region and the Namibian government was fleeced N$20 million in the toilet scam.

Well as the New Year begins not many people have a clear picture of what the year holds for them and I am one of them. Social and political problems of 2012 continue to haunt our faltering government of national unity (GNU) in 2013 but the big question is, is it gonna be referendum or elections or maybe pay increase for the civil servants?

The issue of a new constitution for Zimbabwe drags into 2013 unresolved and it could be a blessing in disguise for the legislators who are currently faced with end of term in office. Faced with fear of leaving office empty-handed some of the legislators are already demanding what’s due to them before the term expires. With an unimpressive record to show for the time they got elected into office some political parties have blocked conducting primary elections to avoid embarrassing the so-called “top brass”.

Such a move killed my hopes of aspiring to be a politician of some sort. Maybe next time when democracy is not just a bar talk.
 
Election manifestos full of development promises from both parties were washed down the drain as political entrepreneurship took center stage. As people continue to wallow in poverty the only hope they have is in the next ballot which will be held this year. On the New Year’s eve civil servants issued an ultimatum to the government to engage them in salary negotiations. Not much was yielded from last year’s negotiations with the government. Good timing indeed to bargain, maybe this year will be the year for the “servants” as parties in the GNU will be trying to please the electorate. A popular prophet saw gold for Zimbabwe in 2013 but the prediction also had death and turmoil. Whether you believe in prophecy or not let’s just sit back watch as the events of 2013 start to unfold.

ZANU PF’s 13th National People’s Conference held in Gweru pulls the curtain down on some of the major political highlights of 2012. The conference, which was declared a resounding success, came up with resolutions, setting the tone for elections in 2013.

Among some of the resolutions which may come as sweet to music the ears of those who have been carrying illegal mining activities is the resolution to decriminalize gold panning.

At the People’s Conference, the party has resolved to “spearhead the decriminalisation of mining operations undertaken by the gold panners (“makorokoza”) and implores Government to give them mining licences so that they operate lawfully”.

This resolution falls under National Economy Indigenising & Empowerment. Call it electioneering strategy or whatever you like but soon running battles with the police under “Operation Chikorokoza Chapera” will be a thing of the past as panners will be awarded with licenses to legitimize their operations.

Recently MDC came up with JUICE for the electorate. Since JUICE is just on paper ZANU PF was not to be outdone with paper strategies of the other parties but promised real papers to legitimatize the illegal activity of gold panning. Well to a young person with the potential to put an X in the next ballot maybe the resolution fell short of also decriminalizing diamond panning.

As the race to the 2013 elections gathers momentum in Zimbabwe many politicians still shy away from, and regard corruption as a sensitive issue. As sensitive as it can be I believe the electorate is shortchanged when people they elect into Parliament as legislators become corrupt themselves. The abuse of the Community Development Fund by some legislators is an example of the appalling level of corruption in the country.

Being ranked number 163 out of the 174 countries that took part in the 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index should not come as a surprise because corruption in Zimbabwe has become the norm. Zimbabwe is ranked among countries like Somalia and Afghanistan with collapsed government systems.

According to the survey, “Governments need to integrate anti-corruption actions into all aspects of decision-making. They must prioritise better rules on lobbying and political financing, make public spending and contracting more transparent, and make public bodies more accountable”.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is a global event dedicated to end gender-based violence. As part of the commemorations to mark this event in Zimbabwe on Friday 30 November 2012 Pamberi Trust together with Media Alliance held a media round table discussion at The Book Café. The theme of the discussion was “The Media Against Gender-Based Violence” and it took the form of an open discussion between members of the public, media practitioners and civil society representatives in trying to unpack the role of the media in covering gender based violence (GBV) in the country.

It was noted that media is doing very little in playing its role as a mirror of society when reporting on gender-based violence. In a presentation by Mrs. Veremu a Mass Communications lecturer at Polytechnic, it was noted that media plays a critical role in shaping the discourse on gender based violence through awareness raising, setting the agenda and helping to change attitudes. Mrs. Veremu highlighted that media should play a leading role in dispelling the stigma centered around gender-based violence so that it becomes an encompassing human rights issue, including both men and boys.

In a study carried out by Gender Links in 2010 it was found that regardless of the high prevalence of gender based violence in Zimbabwe only 3 percent of the stories in the media was on gender based violence. The same study found out that television coverage of gender violence was only 1 percent. Media was blamed for sensationalizing articles on gender-based violence only to push sales foregoing the seriousness the issue deserves.

Media should not relegate gender-based violence to the periphery of social discourse.

In helping set the agenda, media has a responsibly in influencing the discourse concerning gender based violence and media coverage should happen all year round, not just during the 16 Days Campaign.

Media houses and organizations that work on gender issues were urged not only to rely on old media but also to embrace new technology like social media so that they reach out to a wide audience.