via Mugabe scholarship scheme collapses 22/03/2014 NewZimbabwe
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has stopped enrolling students under the Presidential Scholarship Fund due to non-availability of funds to bankroll the programme.
The scheme’s administrators admitted there was no money to pay for new students or meet the needs of the thousands already on the scheme despite Mugabe holding a $5 million wedding for his daughter this year.
Zanu PF also threw a $1 million party in February to celebrate its leader’s 90th birthday and yet the government says it owes South African universities a similar amount.
Chris Mushowe, Fund director, revealed that the programme has suspended enrolling fresh students until it pays off debts to South African universities where beneficiaries are studying.
“We owe South African universities R11 million (US$1 million) hence we decided to suspended enrolling further students until we clear the arrears,” Mushowe said.
Over 4,000 students are studying in South Africa, but in the last few years many have been exposed to poverty and other social ills as the cash-strapped government failed to pay living allowances to cater for their basic needs.
Some, especially girls, have been forced to resort to prostitution to raise money to survive.
“Because of lack of funding, we have stopped taking any student until we are done with the current lot because we don’t have enough funding for the project,” Mushowe said.
Mushowe said well wishers had to come to the rescue of students last year after they were chased out of their universities due to non-payment of tuition fees.
He then went on to blame former finance minister and MDC-T secretary general Tendai Biti for the problem.
“This is largely because since 2010, we did not receive enough funding from the treasury as the then minister of Finance, Tendai Biti, did not believe in the project,” said Mushowe.
“In 2010, he allocated $3 million which cannot cater for the 15 universities accommodating our children in South Africa. In 2011, he allocated $2 million and in 2012, he allocated $1 million which is far from the budgeted expenditure per annum,” Mushowe said.
The Manicaland provincial minister said he would be travelling to South Africa to negotiate with university authorities and land-lords over the payment plan for this year.
“I want to go and sign commitment documents with landlords and see how those students especially in KwaZulu Natal are living,” he said.
“Yes at times we fail to give them pocket money to buy text books, or for their needs and demands, but no one has ever gone to sleep in a tavern because they have no accommodation, we try all our best to ensure that they have decent accommodation,” he said
The Scholarship Programme was founded in 1995 to give academically gifted students from poor families a chance to study at South African universities.
But since the collapse of the local economy, the government has been finding it hard to pay tuition fees in time, resulting in some universities refusing to admit the students into their residency compounds.
“Because of our long standing relationship with these universities, we were able to negotiate with them for a payment plan and we are going to pay. That is the reason why we are not taking anyone until we finish with this batch,” he said.
COMMENTS
It makes no difference to most poor parents who are not connected to the ruling party because most of the students who benefited were children of the party supporters.Where did you expect the then minister of finance to get the money when all the diamonds money was looted? You should ask the government officials to tell you where the money from diamonds went.
When you allow looting and corruption with impunity you should expect that it will eventually lead to numerous disasters.Its not surprising why these young girls have been forced to turn to prostitution which has always been the source of income to most girls from poor families whilst these newcomers to the trade were enjoying high standard of life at these universities.
The worsening economy is now bringing some sanity to all levels of society in our country.This will tame even the wild who thought they were beyond suffering.
The sad part is that some Politicians children who’s parents are so rich and could have paid the fees to these universities are also beneficiaries of these scholarships.
I though we had unis in zim and the dear leader was chancellor . Like the Doc said, its the politicians kids . The parents should make use of the looted funds.
I will not shed a tear.
CANT BE TRUE! BILL GATES OF ZIM!
Fool!
Dumb wits. How can the chancellor of state universities establish a scholarship fund for which he never raised a single cent? In stead, it is bank rolled by the treasury; a clear case of expressing a vote of no confidence in the very institutions that the president heads.
Why not use the money to improve our own unis? Shameless, corrupt, unpatriotic and greedy idiots. Many of us will be happy for this nonsense to just collapse.
This rabble called Zanu have created an elite group of their own so that they can carry on the plunder. This nutcase we call a president believes Zanu will rule forever. Rule by patronage . Sick man.
Indeed we have been fooled that we have a President! Zimbabwe has no leader technically!
Everything that is ‘mugabe’ will collapse in time. It is called judgment because he remains unrepentant and now lives in fools paradise. he cannot see! He has gone totally spiritually blind. Where are the so called Christians in ZPF. Can they not see the dangerous road they tread? The wages of sin is death!
We have one christian vice president joyous Mujuru…..i thought she has been paraded by ZBC putting on the commander attire of the Salvation Army. That is senior position in salvation christian walk. Unfortunately, she may not see the salvation the parades
No effect on us. Our children never get chances of such scholarships. We work hard to educate them.
Of course it should collapse. These students should be studying at Zim Universities. They are the best aren’t they?
Please focus on improving education standards at local Unis. Aren’t we ranting about empowerment. Pamberi neUZ. Tired of the ruling party’s hypocrisy. Time to walk the talk and enrol all your kids at UZ like everyone else and let them live in Zim. Promote local industry- buy cars, building material,clothes produced locally. Hang on- nothing is locally produced anymore. Where is your sovereignty that you rattle about every time?
How do you expect Biti to fund a scholarship programme which is not benefiting the intended children.I remember once Mushowe your child benefited from the scholarship are you poor. That is just a tip of how corruptly this programme is admnistered
Who wrote this tripe? The scheme funds rich Zanu kids’ education courtesy Zim’s poorest taxpayers. Same old Zim. Corruption incarnate. The dream of a fair, just and equal Zim is a dream dreamt by millions but – their day will come as it always does to genocidal tyrants and their lackeys who will be named, shamed and pursued.
Robert Mugabe got a good education but destroyed the education system of his fellow citizens. The teachers who taught Mugabe were stabbed in.the back had there citizenshop taken and even.thrown out the country.garfield Todd taught pres Mugabe and look how Mugabe treated him.and his family. If he.did this.to his teachers you can see why education has failed today in Zimbabwe unless you.vary wealthy and send your children to st georges. Mugabe would never send his kids to a state school.
No comment here from Apolitical. Obviously hates it when anything Zanu collapses.
This fool called CHRIS MUSHOWE has the audacity to blame Tendai Biti for Mugabe’s failings. Zanu Pf has got great pretenders who blame everyone except themselves. SHAME ON YOU
“This is largely because since 2010, we did not receive enough funding from the treasury as the then minister of Finance, Tendai Biti, did not believe in the project,” said Mushowe. That is rather strange that they want to use the taxpayers money for something called the Presidential Scholarship Fund.
Yoh same story with the miserable health system. The big wigs go to South Africa and overseas for treatment and leave the little fish behind to perish. Those funds could develop local hospitals. One day it will be their lives on the line (not enough time to get to South Africa) and not even a drip available at the hospital. Good luck!!!!
Let those students come back home and stop wasting the forex.