The Standard

FOREIGN NEWS
www.thestandard.co.zw
2 The Standard September 21 to 27 2014
News
Tsvangirai to lead demos
A three-day curfew is under way in
Sierra Leone to let health workers find
and isolate cases of Ebola, in order to
halt the spread of the disease. Many
people have been reluctant to seek
medical treatment for Ebola, fearing
that diagnosis might mean death as
there is no proven cure. A team of 30
000 people is going house-to-house to
find those infected and distribute soap.
But critics say the lockdown will damage
public trust in doctors. — BBC
The International Criminal Court
(ICC) has summoned Kenyan President
Uhuru Kenyatta to appear
before the tribunal on October 8.
Judges want to question him over
claims that his government has withheld
documents requested by prosecutors
preparing his crimes against
humanity trial. The trial has already
been delayed several times. Kenyatta
denies organising ethnic massacres
after elections in 2007. Some 1 200
people were killed and 600 000 driven
from their homes. — BBC
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bY eveRson MUsHAvA
MDC-T leader Morgan
Tsvangirai is
headed for a fresh
clash with authorities
amid revelations
that he plans to personally
lead street protests being organised
by his opposition party from
the frontline.
The opposition party spokesperson
Douglas Mwonzora on
Friday revealed to The Standard
modalities for the protests
against the worsening economic
crisis in the country would be
worked out soon after the opposition
party’s elective congress set
for next month.
“The protests will be more coordinated.
The party leadership
will be at the front in some of the
protests depending on the situation.
Definitely, the leadership, including
president Tsvangirai, will
be there on the front,” Mwonzora
told The Standard.
Tsvangirai last week told a
South African television channel,
E-TV’s 360 Degrees, that his party
was working on strategies to force
Mugabe’s government to address
the country’s economic woes.
He said the country’s free falling
economy would likely push the
election dates closer than 2018. Tsvangirai’s
remarks came after he
had told thousands of party supporters
who thronged Mucheke
Stadium in Masvingo for the party’s
15th anniversary last Saturday
that it was now time to adopt a confrontational
approach against the
government.
Mwonzora said the party leadership,
including Tsvangirai,
would be on the frontline during
the street protests to show that the
party was not setting up its supporters.
He said the presence of the
MDC-T leadership was meant to
bY oUR sTAFF
THE University of Zimbabwe
(UZ) has remained mum on the
conferment of Doctor of Philosophy
degree on First Lady Grace
Mugabe despite questions and
speculation being raised over the
accolade.
Over a week after Grace graduated
at the once prestigious institution,
analysts said the UZ was
not doing itself any good by remaining
quiet in the wake of the
controversies surrounding the
PhD.
They said the credibility of the
UZ was now at stake, amid claims
that the institution’s continental
rating had fallen drastically since
the graduation ceremony. The analysts
said the UZ’s silence over
the issue appeared to confirm
critics who claim the conferment
could have been dubious.
Grace was capped by her husband,
President Robert Mugabe
alongside Vice-President Joice
Mujuru. The Vice-President already
has a Master’s Degree in
Strategic Management. She studied
for her PhD in the Faculty of
Commerce and her thesis is available
on the UZ website.
Grace is known to have graduated
with a first degree in the Chinese
Language completed in 2011
after four years of distance learning
with the People’s University
of China. There is however no
indication that she studied for
any other degree before graduating
with the Doctorate recently. A
Masters’ degree is mandatory before
one can study for a PhD.
A week before the graduation,
Higher and Tertiary Education
minister Olivia Muchena commended
Mujuru for being diligent
in her studies despite having to juggle
multiple responsibilities during
the launch of the Zim Asset training
programme for legislators.
“We have heard about how the
President worked hard under difficult
circumstances to attain several
degrees but we also have another
example of a hard worker
in Vice-President Joice Mujuru
who will be graduating with a
PhD next week,” Muchena said.
Muchena however told The
Standard on Friday that whoever
had issues with the manner
Grace was conferred with a doctorate
should register their aversion
with the university.
“The university has procedures
that can be followed [to establish
the facts]. Anybody who is unhappy
with it should check with the
university,” she said.
On the day of the graduation,
UZ vice-chancellor Levi Nyagura
described the graduation ceremony
as “historic” and added that it
was not likely to be repeated in future.
“This graduation ceremony is
show commitment to finding a
lasting solution to the problems
facing Zimbabwe.
“It is definite, we are going to
protest. The aim of the peaceful
protests will be to force government
into positive action. We are
the official opposition and our
duty is to force government to act
in a responsible manner,” Mwonzora
said.
He said the protests would be for
all the affected Zimbabweans, not
the MDC-T alone.
“At the congress, we are going
to come up with a roadmap of our
strategies,” Mwonzora said. The
MDC-T will be holding its congress
in Harare at the end of October.
Asked how the protests would
succeed in the face of ruthless police
response to street protests,
Mwonzora said: “We are going to
see that. Definitely we are going
to protest. We will be doing this in
terms of the laws of the land.”
Mugabe is known for using force
to thwart dissent. In 2007 Tsvangirai
and several other opposition officials
and civic leaders were savagely
beaten when they tried to organise
a peace rally in Highfield
suburb in Harare.
An MDC-T official who preferred
anonymity said: “Tsvangirai
is brave, if it means being on
the front, he will do that. It is time
for action. The MDC needs to show
that it is prepared to die for the
people.”
Already MDC-T youths have been
having running battles with the
police while trying to hold peaceful
demonstrations to pressure
Mugabe to provide the two million
jobs he promised the electorate
ahead of last year’s July 31 polls.
Tsvangirai’s calls for protests
have been met with mixed feelings,
with some people accusing
the former premier of attempting
to endanger the lives of many
Zimbabweans in the face of a brutal
police force.
Mugabe himself has already
threatened to deal ruthlessly with
any “form of lawlessness”.
Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare
Gumbo yesterday rubbished Tsvangirai’s
proposals for mass action
and street protests, describing
the opposition leader as “a desperate
man with no programme
or sense of direction.”
He said this was the reason why
Tsvangirai was being deserted by
influential party officials, including
former secretary-general Tendai
Biti.
Gumbo said Zanu PF was on
course to resuscitate the economy
through the US$3 billion deal
signed between the country and
Russia for the establishment of
a platinum venture in Darwendale.
“No sensible Zimbabwean will
join him in his so-called protests.
Zanu PF is working hard to implement
programmes that will solve
the economic problems the country
is facing,” he said.
“Zimbabweans will not accept
such a project. He is wasting his
time and energy.”
Political analyst Alois Masepe
said protesting for the economy
should be a spontaneous peopledriven
movement.
Grace’s doctorate: UZ remains mum
President Robert Mugabe caps his wife Grace at UZ recently
Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo has rubbished Tsvangirai’s proposals for mass
action and street protests.
a historic event which is very difficult,
if not impossible, to repeat
in the near future,” he said.
“Allow me to single out a very
special and unique graduand, the
First Lady, who shall be presented
to you for conferment of a degree
. . . May you also allow me to
single out the Vice-President who
shall be presented to you for conferment
of a degree.”
Sometime in July, it was reported
that the First Lady had registered
for a doctoral degree with
the institution.
In Zimbabwe it takes a minimum
of three years to complete
a PhD.
Reports indicate that UZ senior
lecturers were mooting to write a
letter of protest to the university
council, the institution’s highest
decision-making body, over the
awarding of the doctoral degree
to Grace.
UZ public relations director
Dennis Rwafa had not responded
to the questions e-mailed to him,
as per request, by the time of going
to press.
Sources at the university said
only holders of Masters degrees
could be admitted to do a PhD,
and would still have to go through
a rigorous selection process.
Among the basic requirements,
one should have published work
with a recognised institution or
journal.