Mudenge also imposed a draconian cadetship scheme on the students. The cadetship programme is not feasible because of the bankruptcy of the inclusuve government. The minister is not even concerned about the welfare of the lecturers and this has fuelled a massive brain-drain. The date of the re-opening of the University of Zimbabwe is still unknown, even to Mudenge himself. He is not even in touch with the lecturers union in the campus. Mudenge has rubbished higher and tertiary education beyond redemption.
I appeal to the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, as the head of the council of ministers to probe Mudenge and save tertiary education before its too late. I am very sure that there will no learning at UZ as long as fees are exorbitant. Even if the campus is re-opened, there will be a series of demonstrations.
CHARLES, University of Zimbabwe
Prioritise civic education
EDITOR The rural people who form the bigger portion of the countrys population are in dire need of civic education and empowerment if they are to contribute effectively and immensely in the national healing and constitutional reform processes. The rural population forms more than 70 per cent of the whole Zimbabwean population. There has to be maximum participation from the rural populace if national healing and constitutional reform processes are to be genuinely reflective of the wishes and aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe.
These were some of the views ROHR Zimbabwe got from its two workshops in Gweru and Bulawayo. Speaker after speaker appealed to civic organisations to intensify civic education, especially in rural areas where infrastructural development is lagging behind as compared to urban areas.
Rural people, especially youths and women, have been subjected to manipulation by politicians for personal aggrandisement. Such mentality is what the workshop participants said was the major reason for the derailing of development in the country. Youths and women who are supposed to be involved in development projects are seen as mere agents of political power.
Most of the organisations are centered in urban areas where people can easily access the internet and newspapers. But the rural folks are prone to manipulation by politicians who want to satisfy their own personal enrichment at their expense.
As ROHR Zimbabwe, we appeal to the government to ensure that national healing and constitutional reform process is adequately marketed to the rural population for them to make meaningful contributions.
ROHR ZIMBABWE, by email
Barbaric attacks on police recruits
EDITOR I have recently learned that Zimbabwean police recruits are subjected to beatings as a kind of indoctrination or hazing. I have seen a short video of this practice and I am appalled. No civilised country employs such practices.
If police are inducted to their service in this way, you can expect them to act brutally when performing their duties, in clear violation of your own laws and international norms.
Please, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, act immediately to stop this highly destructive and counter-productive practice.
If MDC is seen as endorsing or approving this sort of behaviour, you will be no better than Zanu (PF), and your legitimacy both in Zimbabwe and in the world will be fatally damaged.
EDNA MUSARURWA, Harare
Flawed process gives flawed outcome
EDITOR For the past decade, Zimbabweans have been campaigning for a people-driven and democratic constitution. The constitution was strategically identified as a weapon used by the Robert Mugabe regime to extend his dictatorship. Civil society and Movement for Democratic Change alike, agree that, for the content to be legitimate, the process should be equally legitimate.
The MDC in its manifesto acknowledges that a constitution should be authored by the people for it to be owned by the people. Civil society since 1997 has been advocating for the same position. It is important to check on precedence; what happens when the government or a pseudo-government pushes for a flawed process to produce a legitimate constitution?
Amendments 17, 18 and 19 are examples of what happens when any authority authors a constitution on behalf of the citizens. It is of importance to note at this stage that, if the new constitution is not authored by the people, it will be a document of compromise rather than a true reflection of national vision and aspirations.
Amendment 19 exposed enemies of democracy as it was authored under an unholy arrangement. This amendment failed to address the issue of the dissolution of presidential powers, scrapping of the draconian media laws and also failed to adequately address the issue of the role of security details in a normal state.
Zimbabweans should be awake to the reality that a constitution cannot be written for them. No single individual or a collection of individuals should bestow upon themselves the mandate to write a constitution on behalf of citizens. Citizens have the write to determine their future and they should be accorded that right, by being at the forefront of a constitutional making process.
A constitution should be owned by all citizens and should work as a uniting force for the entire populace. Zimbabwe has a huge number of people who are not represented by the existing leadership, but who equally deserve to be represented in a constitution-making process, as the constitution will direct their national life.
It should be a document that cuts across racial, tribal, ethnic, class and generational lines. This sacred document should never be used as an instrument to retain power or clampdown on dissent, but should be used to break barriers and move a nation toward a common destiny.
The Bible asks: how can a bad tree produce good fruits? I think this should be same way in which a constitution should be viewed in the country. How can a bad process yield good content? If the end result is to achieve good content, then why not just use a good and all-inclusive process.
TRUST MATSILELE, by email
Cadetship programme a fallacy
EDITOR Students in Zimbabwe, we are more comfortable living with deception than facing the bitter and brutal truth: the cadetship scheme that has been introduced by the government is a fallacy and should be treated as null and void.
The government has gone for the fifth month running without paying its employees salaries, but rather allowances, and yet we expect that same government to own up to its promise of financing the cadetship scheme.
We are now faced with a situation where some of us students are going to have our studies deferred due to not being able to secure the monies required by our various institutions of learning, and whats surprising is the silence of the government over this issue. The cadetship scheme was born out of the guilty conscience of government after their neglect of the students, and its only there to save the face of government rather than take into account the plight of the suffering students.
Firstly, I for one strongly and firmly believe that it is a form of modern day slavery, for how can an individual faced with no other means of coming up with these new hideous, atrocious and unsympathetic fees be able to resist applying for this scheme. Secondly, the terms and conditions of this scheme reek of evil. When you are bonded to the government, you do not have the power to negotiate for your own salary and those students will now be used as a source of cheap labour.
I call upon the government to revisit this issue of cadetship and return to its senses by bringing back the revolving loan and grant scheme which is better suited to cushioning the students from arbitrary neglect.
KURAYI HOYI, Nust SRC President
The tide is turning for Zanu
EDITOR In an estuary, the turn of the tide happens every day. When it happens, it is difficult to see at first, but soon the water starts to run, slowly at first and then like a flood, sweeping all in front of it and even tempering the incoming waves. Are we seeing the first signs in Zimbabwe?
I think Zanu (PF) now knows that they made some poor choices when they manipulated the final outcome of the GPA and tried to protect their position in the country. MDC ended up with all the ministries that are concerned with the delivery of the basic needs of ordinary people: health, education, water, sanitation, roads and basic welfare and food requirements. Zanu concentrated on what they saw as controlling the political process media and information, the security services, the Reserve Bank, the justice system, foreign affairs and land.
Many of those choices now look like poisoned chalices. They know now that they will be forced to allow reform of the media. Their control of the security services, without the money to satisfy their need for a liveable wage and decent living and working conditions as well as new toys to play with, is like being tossed a hot coin. The Reserve Bank governor might still be in his office on the top of that glass and concrete tower, but underneath him are empty vaults and few staff. What staff he still has wonder how they are going to be paid at the month end.
Even the control of foreign affairs is proving an embarrassment. While Mr Mugabe has no choice as to where he can or cannot go and who will receive him, the Prime Minister takes off on Saturday and his itinerary looks like a trip through the pages of whos who! Starting with Obama and Merkel, going on to Brown and then the leadership of the Nordic States, the Netherlands and France.
Since Zanu (PF) destroyed the economy, tax receipts have fallen to less than half of what we need to run the country. The rest has to come from the international community and that group is dominated by the very countries that are demanding change. So, when they release resources they make pretty sure they are not being co-opted by the remaining elements of the old regime. They spend their money in those areas where the MDC happens to be in charge health services, education, services and essential food supplies.
This means that, in many instances, the MDC is delivering and the people know it. The transformation of the economy is clearly the result of MDC efforts.
Its not hard to see the continued failures of Zanu (PF) they control agriculture and land policy, and both are in a complete shambles. They declared their intention to restore production of basic foods and other agricultural products, only to lose what was left of the winter cereals industry. Little wheat and barley has been planted. Now they might lose what is left of the tobacco industry and, if that happens, then the vast infrastructure that once supported the third largest exporter of tobacco in the world will simple disappear along with tens of thousands of jobs.
Everyone will know who was responsible for that.
As far as land reform is concerned, the courts are about to rule that everything Zanu (PF) has done since 1998 has been illegal. The thousands of people they have turned off their land in an illegal orgy of theft and pillage are going to be granted full compensation by the courts and they are then going to have to worry about paying the bills that will ensue.
Zanu tried to keep us out of any transitional administration – they have failed. They are being gradually forced to actually live up to the deal they were forced to accept and sign in September last year. They will appreciate, like the hard men in South
Africa after 1990, that this tide is not reversible and leads in only one direction.
EDDIE CROSS, Bulawayo