Links ~ 5 October 2005
October 5th, 2008
Bid to break deadlock in Zim (The Times)
[...] During the meeting, which kicked off at Zimbabwe House at 10am yesterday, it emerged that Zanu-PF had agreed to give the finance portfolio to Tsvangirai. Zanu-PF insiders claimed this was strategic because it wants the opposition to source money from international donors and to campaign for the lifting of sanctions. But Tsvangirai was refusing to accept the finance portfolio without other key ministries such as economic affairs and agriculture, MDC insiders told the Sunday Times yesterday morning. “They are negotiating to try and break the impasse over the allocation of ministries,†said a Tsvangirai confidante outside State House. …
SADC clairifes position on Zim power-sharing (The Zimbabwean)
THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) region has clarified its position on former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, whom it says would continue mediating in the power-sharing process in Zimbabwe despite being removed from office by his African National Congress (ANC) ruling party, a senior SADC official told CAJ News over the phone on Saturday.
Outrage As Cash Queues Get Longer (The Standard)
THEY say the early bird catches the fattest worm, but for many depositors, trying to withdraw their hard-earned money has become a nightmare. Despite making it to the bank as early as 6am, 30-year-old Mollyn Munda’s hopes of getting money were receding. Other early birds had arrived at the bank before her and she was number 3 478. “I have been in the queue since 6am, hoping to get my money early, but it seems, it will take more days for the queues to end,” she said. At ATMs in First Street, the queue tells a picture of people who are “waiting for God”.
Teachers’ Unions Write-off 2008 As Academic Year (The Standard)
THE country’s two main teachers’ unions — the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) — have called for the “complete scrapping off of 2008 from the academic year because it was a wasted year”.
Minister claims Zim Education Standards Improving (The Standard)
ZIMBABWE’S education standards have not been any worse despite a plethora of problems bedevilling the sector, outgoing finance minister Samuel Mumbengegwi last week said. Speaking on the sidelines of a Central Statistical Office (CSO) workshop, Mumbengegwi said if anything, the standards have improved and among other indicators is an increased participation of girls. “I have heard people saying the standards have deteriorated but that has not been proven yet,” he said. “The problem is that in a scenario where there are challenges like the ones we are facing as a country, people are quick to draw conclusions.”
