Audit Of Use Of Zimbabwe's Constituency Development Yields First Scalp
Posted: February 23, 2012 at 2:06 pm
February 23, 2012 15:48 PM
Audit Of Use Of Zimbabwe's Constituency Development Yields First Scalp
HARARE, Feb 23 (BERNAMA-NNN-NEW ZIANA) -- Investigations into the use of the US$50,000 granted to each member of Zimbabwe's Parliament under the Constituency Development Fund have claimed their first scalp with the Member of the House of Assembly for the St Mary's constituency, Marvelous Khumalo, being charge with converting US$27,350 to his personal use.
Khumalo appeared before Magistrate Anita Tshuma at the Rotten Row Court here Wednesday and was remanded out of custody until March 7 on US$300 bail.
St Mary's constituency is in Harare's dormitory town of Chitungwiza and was won on an Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) ticket.
The State, led by Prosecutor David Magwegwe, alleged that some time towards the end of 2010, the government unveiled a Constituency Development Fund (CDF) which was meant to cater for development projects to benefit communities of all the constituencies in the country.
Magwegwe said the purpose, objective and administration of the fund was outlined in the constituency and accounting officers instruction, copies of which were issued to every MP, including Khumalo.
Magwegwe told the court in November 2010, the St Mary's CDF committee opened a bank account at the Metropolitan Bank main branch in Harare.
During the period Nov 12, 2010 to Dec 30 the same year, the Treasury transferred US$50,000 in trances of US$19,000, US$19,000 and US$12,000, respectively into the St Mary's CDF bank account.
On Jan 2, 2011 Khumalo, in his capacity as the MP and chairman of the constituency, allegedly corruptly used some of the money to purchase a Bedford truck from United Tyre Service without the knowledge and approval of both the St Mary's CDF committee and the National Management Committee.
Investigations revealed that Khumalo was hiring out the truck for his personal gain at the expense of the community which never benefited from its use and it was not registered under the constituency.
Magwegwe said between Nov 17, 2010 and Feb 8, 2011 Khumalo made the councillors to sign blank withdrawal slips and he made various withdrawals from the St Mary's CDF account. He withdrew US$5,000 which he converted for his personal use.
When auditors from the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs went to audit the constituency account, Khumalo produced a quotation from Madedale Enterprise Pvt Ltd which he inscribed the word "receipt" to purport that a payment of US$5,000 was made to the company for sinking of boreholes.
However, investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission established that Madedale Enterprise did not sink any boreholes in St Mary's constituency and no payment was made to the company by the St Mary's CDF committee.
Khumalo gave US$3,000 each to five councillors and retained US$3,000 which was meant for Councillor Adam Puzo of Ward 1 who was not present. It is alleged that Khumalo converted the money that was meant for Puzo to his own use.
Magwegwe said during the audit that the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs carried out Khumalo in a bid to cover up for his offence forged some receipts to prove that the money was used towards the development of the constituency.
Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga recently named 10 MPs who are yet to account for the CDF and said he had since the referred the cases to the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Anti-Corruption Commission.
-- BERNAMA-NNN-NEW ZIANA
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Audit Of Use Of Zimbabwe's Constituency Development Yields First Scalp
Get Fit with Me – Online! – Video
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Get Fit with Me - Online! - Video
It’s Business in Ottawa with the Entrepreneurship Centre – Video
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Anthem High School Now Offering Online Diplomas and Professional Skills Development
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Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) February 23, 2012
Anthem High School, a partnership between Anthem College Online and Smart Horizons Career Online Education (SHCOE), is now online and accepting students.
“We are excited to partner with Smart Horizons,” says Darcy Richardson, Division President of Anthem College Online. “Both our organizations want to offer adult learners the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and support their efforts. More adults realize that education is critical to getting a better life for themselves and their families. Anthem High School is one path they can use to begin working toward their educational and career goals.”
Students who are interested in learning basic workplace skills, such as Microsoft Office, communication, and time management, can work toward a Professional Skills Development Certificate while they earn their high school diploma.
Anthem High School graduates can continue their education through Anthem College Online, the online division of Anthem College-Phoenix, part of Anthem Education. It offers post-secondary education and training programs in the following fields:
Accounting Technology Business Management Criminal Justice Health Information Management Healthcare Management Medical Assisting Medical Office Administration Paralegal
Depending on the program, students can earn an Associate of Science or Bachelor of Science degree, except for the Medical Office Administration program, which offers a Diploma only. Two programs―Healthcare Management and Medical Assisting―offer degree completion options as well.
SHCOE is the first online school district to receive accreditation from AdvancED/SACS. The organization shares many of the same goals as Anthem College Online, says SHCOE Board Chairman Richard Goldman, Ph.D. “Both of our organizations prepare students to succeed in their education and careers, and provide skilled employees. I believe that together, we can serve as a model to help improve the educational outlook for many people and maybe even help improve our economy.”
About Anthem College Online
Originally established in 2003, Anthem College Online is part of Anthem Education, a Phoenix, Arizona-based family of schools and colleges that provides career-focused training and education programs at 23 accredited institutions in 15 states as well as online. The Anthem Education family of schools includes Anthem College, Anthem College Online, Anthem Career College, Anthem Institute, Morrison University, and The Bryman School of Arizona. For more information, visit http://anthem.edu.
For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website at http://www.anthem.edu/disclosures.
About Smart Horizons Career Online Education
Smart Horizons Career Online Education, founded in 2009 and located in Pensacola, Florida, is a private, AdvancED/SACS accredited online school district. AdvancED/SACS District accreditation signifies that SHCOE and all of its schools are fully accredited and that SHCOE is recognized across the nation as a quality school system. Smart Horizons Career Online Education offers 18-credit, career-based high school diploma programs that are designed to prepare students for entrance into the workplace. Career certificate offerings include Childcare Education, Office Management, Protection Services, Homeland Security, Healthcare (coming in Fall 2011) and Transportation Services. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.shcoe.org, call our office at 855-777-4265 or email our office at enrollment(at)smarthorizonsonline(dot)org
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Anthem High School Now Offering Online Diplomas and Professional Skills Development
Companies looking to expand online public education in Iowa
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Iowa Connections Academy Altoona Info Meeting
When: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24.
Where: Holiday Inn Express, 165 Adventureland Drive N.W.
Who should attend: Families interested in kindergarten through 12th-grade online education
Education chief: Online academies will face scrutiny
The CAM and Clayton Ridge school districts will face heavy scrutiny next school year as they begin offering virtual academies to state students, said Jason Glass, Iowa Department of Education director.
Connections Academy, based in Baltimore, and K12 Inc., of Virginia, will begin partnerships with Iowa�s CAM and Clayton Ridge districts, respectively, in July. The partnerships will allow Iowa students to attend the virtual classes without leaving their homes.
Some Iowa educators say allowing the for-profit companies in the state is the same as creating a voucher system, in which students take state money to attend the school of their choice. The partnerships will create competition among cash-strapped, mostly rural districts, where leaders mostly worry about students being shortchanged, several educators said.
Educators will present their concerns Feb. 22 to the Government Oversight Committee.
- Sheena Dooley
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Companies looking to expand online public education in Iowa
Online driver education vote delayed
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Legislators postponed a vote yesterday on a bill allowing New Hampshire teens to take driver education online so that two dramatically different amendments - one co-written by the bill's prime sponsor - could be married into one.
Several House Transportation Committee members said while they support the idea of online education, they could not vote for the bill without a requirement of lessons from a certified driving instructor.
But the sponsor, Rep. Laura Jones of Rochester, said she'll fight against that requirement when the bill goes before the full House, and she thinks she might win.
"A majority of the committee wants to move that forward, but I think the floor as a whole may have a different mindset," Jones said after the committee meeting.
The bill, which Jones sponsored along with Rep. Tara Sad, a Walpole Democrat, allows New Hampshire residents who are at least 15½ years old to take a driver education course online and complete 10 hours of driving time supervised by a parent, guardian or other licensed driver who is at least 30 years old.
At a hearing on the bill last month, teens and parents spoke out against the high cost of driver education courses, which range from $400 to almost $700 in different corners of the state.
The cost is prohibitive for many teens, who often opt to wait until they turn 18 when the educational requirement is waived. Allowing a lower-cost online option would put more educated drivers on the road, supporters said.
The executive session on the bill was an emotional one for several members of the committee, who described motor vehicle crashes they witnessed as law enforcement officers or as parents.
For Rep. Lisa Scontsas, whose 16-year-old daughter died in a car crash in 2008, without the professional instruction requirement, the bill loses her support.
With emotion breaking her words, she told the committee "you can't put a dollar on life. Safety comes first."
Rep. John Tholl, a Republican from Whitefield, proposed the amendment requiring professional instruction.
He supports online education, but not without real-world instruction, too, he said.
"My background is 40 years of law enforcement. . . . I don't want to pass a bill that compromises safety simply because it's cheaper," he said.
Some parents just sign the documents saying they did the required 40 hours of supervised driving with their teen when they haven't, Tholl said. What's to stop them from doing so under the new law, and how much would that limit teen drivers' training if that is all the supervised driving that's required, committee members said.
If the bill focused on home-schooling families, some representatives said they would have no problem supporting it without the professional instruction requirement. Parents who made the decision to home-school will be much less likely to skirt the requirements, they said.
"I mean no disrespect to the home-school community, but the rest of the state, we don't have that same commitment and level of dedication," said Rep. Brian Rhodes, a Democrat from Nashua, speaking in support of Tholl's amendment.
Jones, working with Rep. John Hikel of Goffstown, transportation committee clerk, proposed a different amendment increasing the required driving time to 20 hours, limiting the instruction to parents and grandparents and imposing a penalty on teens who fail their driving or written test after taking an online course.
Those students would then have to take an in-person driving education course.
"We tried to make it so everyone was happy. It's as reasonable as possible," said Rep. Kyle Jones, Rep. Laura Jones's son and a member of the transportation committee. (next page »)
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Online driver education vote delayed
Life Coach Los Angeles | Cheryl Hunter – Video
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Three keys to success for entrepreneurs
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Guest Column elizabeth saunders Special to Globe and Mail Update Published Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012 6:00AM EST
I’m not responsible for everything
I started out in business with an eagerness to please my clients — no matter what — and I put more stress on myself than I needed to.
Sometimes I’d work on a project that required someone else to give me information before I could move forward. They didn’t always feel the same sense of responsibility to meet deadlines, which means they gave me what I needed to complete the project at the last minute, and then I had to work really late to get everything finished on time.
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Over the years, I learned to set boundaries and I realized that I’m not responsible for people outside my organization who are running behind. Instead of stressing out and trying to pick up the slack, I give clients regular progress reports and I warn them when someone has not lived up to an agreement to deliver on time. I’ve found that, in general, clients are very understanding and this strategy reduces the burden tremendously.
Packaging leads to success — or failure
One of my biggest joys as an entrepreneur is having a ton of flexibility in my life and variety in my work. When I began my business, I actually preferred contract work that didn’t tie me down on a long-term basis. I saw it as giving me more freedom.
But after almost six years of full-time entrepreneurship, I’ve found that offering “retainer” contracts, where my company is paid on a monthly basis, and larger three- to six-month programs is a huge key to success. When you have larger contracts, you even out your cash flow, reduce your sales and marketing time and build a long-term, value-packed relationship with your clients.
Sales is fun. Really
I’ve always enjoyed marketing: strong networking and communications skills have come naturally to me from the time I started toddling around. But I used to detest the thought of sales. I thought it was enough to tell people what I did and they would hire me if they needed me.
Once I got into the coaching business, where I help people who have struggled with time management for years, I realized that marketing was not enough. I needed to know how to sell to get chronic procrastinators into a coaching program that would transform their lives. I invested in sales training so I could learn the art and science of sales, and I found I loved it. Selling done well provides the right people with the right solutions to overcome their challenges.
Special to The Globe and Mail
Elizabeth Grace Saunders is the founder and CEO of Real Life E, a time-management life coaching and training company that empowers individuals who feel guilty, overwhelmed and frustrated to accomplish more with peace and confidence.
She is also a member of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only, non-profit organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment and underemployment and provides entrepreneurs with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of a company’s development and growth.
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Three keys to success for entrepreneurs
Do You Work With Kids or Want to Work With Kids?
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You’ve been asking so we’re delivering…Adventures in Wisdom announces a program to enable professionals, non-profits, and educators to use their innovated “Life Coaching Program for Kids” mentoring toolkit with the kids they serve.
Austin, TX (PRWEB) February 21, 2012
After receiving requests by professionals who work with children to use the Adventures in Wisdom Life Coaching Program in their own organization, Adventures in Wisdom™ announces an affordable license agreement to enable counselors, coaches, educators, work shop leaders, and other professionals to use their mentoring toolkit with the children they serve.
Ten-minute stories teach skills that will last a lifetime!
The program uses creative short stories and activities to teach kids (ages 6-12) how to:
develop a mindset for happiness and success handle peer pressure think for themselves and make good decisions move through fear; overcome mistakes and failure live life with intention achieve their goals build self-confidence create powerful self-esteem that doesn’t rise and fall with the ups and downs of life
....and much more - 27 skills in all.
“Learning without lecture”
The toolkit includes 27 skill books each containing a children’s guide and a mentor’s guide. Each children’s guide includes a fun short story to teach the skill, discussion questions to evoke deeper understanding, and activities to provide hand’s on experience. Each mentor’s guide provides background information and coaching tips.
“Our vision is to inspire and empower children to believe in themselves and their dreams and to teach them the skills they can use to reach their fullest potential. We know that we can’t reach every child by ourselves so we are thrilled to offer professionals this opportunity to use Adventures in Wisdom with the kids they serve,” shared Renaye Thornborrow, found and CEO of Adventures in Wisdom™. “Professionals can integrate the program into the great work they are already doing and use as much or as little of the program as they would like.”
To learn more about the licensing programs and to receive a sample of one of the skill books go to http://adventuresinwisdom.com/do-you-work-with-kids/.
About Adventures in Wisdom
Based in Austin, Texas, Adventures in Wisdom is a breakthrough life coaching program for kids that uses short stories and activities to teach children ages 6-12 how to develop powerful self-esteem and self-confidence; achieve their goals; handle challenges such as fear, failure, and peer pressure; and create happy fulfilling lives. Kids learn over 25 personal development skills via skill books or audio programs that can be completed while at home or in the car. For more information call 860-580-WISE or visit http://www.AdventuresInWisdom.com.
# # #
Renaye Thornborrow
Adventures in Wisdom
860-580-9473
Email Information
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Do You Work With Kids or Want to Work With Kids?
Kevin Johnson | Fantasy Fitness-Group Class | Fitness Factory Louisville KY – Video
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Kevin Johnson | Fantasy Fitness-Group Class | Fitness Factory Louisville KY - Video