Zimbabwe News
Govt Scraps CALA
The Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALA) have, with immediate effect, been replaced with the new school-based projects of practical applications with the number of areas covered by the non-examination process reduced from about eight to one for each subject.
Learners in primary schools will now be offered a maximum of six learning areas instead of a minimum of 27, which they used to do, while Form 1 to 4 learners will have five compulsory learning areas.
In line with the Second Republic policy of leaving no one and no place behind, the Government is also ensuring the provision of conducive teaching and learning infrastructure in rural areas, small-scale and commercial farming areas as well as old and new resettlement areas.
Speaking after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting in Harare, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said Cabinet received and approved the Heritage-Based Education 2024-2030.
Dr Muswere said it was presented by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Professor Amon Murwira, as the chairperson of the Cabinet Committee on Human Capital Development, Skills Development and Application.
Heritage-based education would be anchored on the pillars on programmes or learning areas infrastructure, staffing infrastructure, physical and digital infrastructure, legal and regulatory infrastructure and financial infrastructure.
“Pertinent issues in the learning programmes infrastructure include rationalisation of learning areas and strengthening the school-based continuous assessment.
“At infant level (ECD A to Grade 2), learning areas are being reduced from the previous 11 to six.
“The reduction will also apply at junior level in Grades 3 to 7. At secondary school level, the core and compulsory learning areas are being reduced from seven to five. An inclusive and integrated approach will be used to cater for learners with special needs, including thorough provision of assistive devices,” Dr Muswere said.
The review of the assessment modalities and tools would entail the rationalisation of CALA activities, now denoted as school-based projects, which emphasise on the learner being observed carrying out the practical aspects at school.
It had been envisaged that the identification of pathways would be implemented early when enrolling learners for secondary education in order to cater for differences in talent and ability.
“Learners at secondary school level will study at least three electives from the following categories: the sciences, languages, humanities, commercials, technical and vocational, and physical education and arts.
“The future of the country will increasingly be shaped by science and technology, hence the bias in the education system to foster critical thinking, innovation, creativity, problem-solving and programming,” said Dr Muswere.
As the learners enrolled for secondary school level, he said, they would be then categorised according to their areas of proficiency.
Central to the delivery of quality learning was the capacitation of teachers since the heritage-based curriculum required a different approach.
“Focus will be placed on in-service teacher training and coaching, using locally available resources.
“The inquiry-based teaching approaches and the methods pillar aims to transform teaching practices from the traditional rote learning, lecture and drill to more learner-centred approaches where pupils have space to develop their creativity, to develop and express their ideas, to collaborate with one another, to learn by doing and thereby experience holistic development,” said Dr Muswere.
As part of employment creation, Dr Muswere said personnel qualified in technical and vocational programmes would be considered for employment as teachers in relevant learning areas.
“This is expected to increase the absorption of post O-Level students in tertiary education institutions in the country and form the foundation of start-ups for the enterprising learners. Suitable and appropriate physical and digital infrastructure will be provided,” he said.
Dr Muswere said the Government was prioritising the provision of adequate and appropriate infrastructure including classrooms, workshops,
laboratories, internet connectivity, technical equipment and teachers’ houses in order to achieve the intended goals.
“The workshops and laboratories shall be tailor-made according to the unique geographical needs and locally available resources which learners can observe, manipulate and explore during their learning processes. Access to electricity, either from the national grid or renewable sources of energy, will be a priority for every school. This is in order to bridge the gap between the rural and urban schools. The focus will be more on learning by doing,” he said.
Dr Muswere said in order to actualise the aims of the education system, a review of the legal and regulations infrastructure would be undertaken.
That included the alignment of the Heritage-Based Education Curriculum with Section 13 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which states: “The State and all institutions and agencies of Government at every level must endeavour to facilitate rapid and equitable development”.
“Policies and regulations will be implemented to ensure that no place or individual is left behind as the curriculum is implemented. There will also be continuous harmonisation of the primary and secondary education curriculum with the higher education curriculum,” Dr Muswere said.
Responding to questions from the media, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo said the revised curriculum was intended to rationalise CALA.
Minister Moyo said CALA was introduced at a time when there was an outbreak of Covid-19 around 2020 and in the majority of cases, the teachers had not been trained to effectively manage CALA.
“Our observations were that learners were doing more than 27 CALAs at Grade 6 and Grade 7 and that had to be reviewed. The revised curriculum is very important in the sense that we want to inculcate critical thinking skills in our students to embrace problem solving issues,” he said.
Minister Moyo said learners needed to be able to innovate, identify societal problems burdening society, then carry out their research for their projects based on the problems faced by the community.
“Our emphasis is to ensure that we vocationalise education so that by the time a learner finishes Ordinary Level, he or she must be able to provide goods and services that are needed.
“One should be able to have skills of making vehicles, writing housing plans. That is the main motive of this revised curriculum,” he said.
Minister Moyo said it was the Government’s aim to ensure that before rolling out the curriculum, it became compulsory for every teacher to go through training as a form of human capital development.
For easy connectivity, Minister Moyo said the Government would introduce “internet in the box”.
“That means we are going to have a server in schools, especially in rural areas. It means a server will be deployed in the administration block so that any learner within a radius of 100 to 200 metres can access the learning material uploaded by the teacher.
“There is not going to be any data costs because of the use of this server,” he said.
Marondera businessman Francesco Marconati has been sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of fraudulently removing his business partner from the directorship of Eagle Italian Shoes.
Initially, the magistrate handed down a five-year sentence, with three years suspended on the condition that he doesn’t commit a similar offense.
In his ruling, the magistrate noted that Marconati was fully aware he was bypassing proper corporate procedures when committing the offense. He emphasized that Marconati did not receive any resignation letter from his partner, Ms. Song, and that the two had been long-time business and social associates.
Mr. Donald Ndirowei, the presiding magistrate, stated that the complainant had suffered significant emotional distress and financial loss due to Marconati’s actions. He also noted that Marconati had two prior convictions, establishing him as a repeat offender. The magistrate criticized Marconati for showing a lack of respect for the country’s criminal justice system by continuing to commit similar offenses, justifying the need for a severe sentence.
Marconati was convicted of two counts of fraud. Last week, the magistrate found that he had improperly removed Ms. Song from her role as company director and secretary at Eagle Italian Shoes and Agrilink, falsifying documents to claim that both she and Agrilink had resigned. The State, represented by Mr. Anesu Chirenji, demonstrated that Marconati had submitted false information to the Registrar of Companies, falsely claiming Ms. Song’s resignation.
Mr. Ndirowei detailed how Marconati presented a fraudulent CR6 document to Ecobank and First Capital Bank on October 14, 2021, to remove Ms. Song as a company director and account signatory, replacing her with his son, Alessandro Marconati. This document was never officially filed with the Registrar.
In December 2022, Marconati repeated the act by appointing his son Alessandro as director without notifying Ms. Song or holding any required meetings. In 2023, he and his son forged a third CR6 form, appointing Kutaura Bond as an additional company director. Due to these fraudulent actions, the company lost US$6.8 million.
The State also proved that the company secretary had not been informed of these changes, and no resignation letter had been submitted by Ms. Song. “No shareholders meeting or general meeting was conducted,” said Mr. Ndirowei. “The accused is found guilty as charged.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has approved two additional groundbreaking presidential initiatives aimed at empowering Zimbabwe’s economically marginalized population.
These initiatives, the Presidential Internet Scheme (PIS) and the Presidential Home Industry Development Scheme (PHIDS), will be launched in the near future to complement government efforts in achieving a middle-income economy by 2030.
Prevail International Group (PIG), under the leadership of its chairperson Paul Tungwarara, will spearhead these programs, building upon the success of its previous initiatives, the Presidential Borehole Scheme (PBS) and Presidential Solar Scheme (PSS).
PIS will leverage SpaceX’s Starlink satellite technology, to provide high-speed internet access to schools in marginalised rural communities, further bridging the digital divide.
On the other hand, PHIDS will establish and also upgrade existing home industries to create employment and empower the economically disenfranchised urbanites across the country.
PIG chairperson Tungwarara speaking on the launch of more presidential schemes on cards applauded Mnangagwa for being the mastermind behind the avant-garde garde initiatives that sought to achieve a middle income economy by 2030.
“The Presidential Internet Scheme and the Presidential Home Industry Development Scheme are noble projects that represent a monumental step towards digital and economic inclusivity across Zimbabwe.
“President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s commitment to utilizing cutting-edge technology like Starlink to reach our most remote villages and upgrade our ailing home is truly commendable.
“It reflects a deep understanding of the needs of Zimbabwean citizens and a dedication to their development,” said Tungwarara.
Tungwarara said PHIDS’ pilot project will be introduced by an upgrade in Glenview home industries which have been plagued by serial infernos of the years
“We are also going to implement another scheme of presidential home industry development
“To upgrade our home industry to state of the art we are ready to kick off our pilot to curb fire outbreaks in Glenview home industries that have been happening frequently.
“We are ready to do the project and are currently in liaison with the local authority to work out the framework favorable for both parties,” said Tungwarara.
PHIDS and PIS complement Mnangagwa’s existing initiatives, particularly the ongoing PBS and the PSS to improve the livelihoods of Zimbabwean citizenry.
The PBS has provided vital water sources to drought-stricken areas across the nation, including Gokwe, Nkayi, Chipinge, Tsholotsho, Hwange, Bulilima, and Lupane.
By mitigating the impacts of the El Niño-induced drought, the borehole scheme has significantly improved the livelihoods of many villagers.
PBS has also been instrumental in implementing commercial Village Business Units (VBUs) which have empowered previously marginalised communities to take control of local agrarian economies.
Under Mnangagwa’s vision VBUs are designed to spur rural industrialization and modernization.
VBUS have begun yielding benefits for villagers, creating employment opportunities and improving overall livelihoods.
Additionally, Zimbabwe Solar Energy Company, a subsidiary of PIG subsidiary, has been tackling load shedding through the PSS pilot project.
This initiative, now in full swing, has connected several homes in Glen View Suburb to the national grid.
Solar power is seen as a key solution to the country’s electricity outages and aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 7 of ensuring access to clean and affordable energy.
PSS involves renting and installing solar panels on rooftops at no cost, with the solar energy generated being fed into the national grid.
In return, ZESA has agreed in principle to suspend load-shedding in participating areas, and homeowners will receive a token of appreciation.
As PIG prepares for the rollout of more transformative presidential schemes it marks a new era of digital and economic empowerment for Zimbabwe’s marginalised communities, advancing the government’s Vision 2030 for comprehensive national development.
Chinese investor Haoxuan Song has urgently sought an interdict from the High Court to block his deportation from Zimbabwe, arguing that his detention and pending deportation are unlawful and violate his constitutional rights.
The case was heard before High Court Judge, Honorable Katiyo, who issued an interim court order suspending Song’s deportation until legal proceedings are resolved.
Song, who has lived in Zimbabwe since he was four years old, asserts that his detention and the deportation threat are an infringement on his personal liberty and protection from arbitrary deportation under Zimbabwe’s Constitution.
Song has invested over US$3 million in the country and argues that his continued presence is vital for his business operations.
On September 13, 2024, Song was detained by immigration officials and held at Harare Remand Prison, pending deportation to China. His legal team, represented by Tabana and Marwa, contends that the detention and deportation threats are without legal basis and violate his rights.
The matter was heard by High Court Judge Katiyo, who ruled as follows:
1. The case is postponed to September 17, 2024, at 14:30.
2. The deportation of Haoxuan Song is to be suspended until the 17th of September 2024.
3. No order as to costs.
Despite this court ruling, immigration authorities have reportedly refused to comply, allegedly avoiding legal service by switching off their phones to evade communication from Song’s legal team.
Song’s case has emerged in the context of a broader dispute involving business interests between his relative, Li Song, and Italian nationals Francesco and Alessandro Marconati. The Marconatis, who were convicted in 2024 of fraud, forgery, and theft, are accused of defrauding Li Song and unlawfully removing her from director positions in several companies. They allegedly used intimidation tactics, including brandishing firearms, to deny her access to her business premises and have been illegally extracting and selling gold from her plant since October 2021.
It is believed that Song’s detention and deportation are part of a scheme orchestrated by the Marconatis to consolidate control over Li Song’s business assets. Song’s legal team has also accused the immigration authorities of corruption, suggesting that senior officials have been bribed to facilitate his deportation and block legal proceedings.
The Chinese embassy has lodged a diplomatic protest with Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, claiming that the Zimbabwean government violated the Vienna Convention by detaining Song without notifying the embassy and failing to provide necessary documentation.
As the legal battle continues, the tension between Song and immigration authorities remains high, with the court’s order yet to be fully enforced.
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