via Opposition party members’ children denied access to educational assistance — ZPP – NewsDay Zimbabwe March 2, 2015
THE Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) has claimed that opposition party members’ children were being denied access to educational assistance under the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam).
In its January report, ZPP disclosed that in Bindura South scores of schoolchildren whose parents were affiliated to the MDC-T had their names scrapped off the Beam beneficiaries list.
“In January a case of discrimination on Beam was recorded where village head Leonard Madamombe in Nekati village in Bindura South was tasked to list down the names of children who were to be assisted through Beam, but he gave preference to children whose parents were members of Zanu PF,” a ZPP statement read.
“Those whose parents were MDC-T supporters were told that they would be contacted later and it is alleged that some of the children of Zanu PF members listed could not be classified as vulnerable.”
The non-governmental organisation also reported that incidences of violence perpetrated on Zanu PF supporters were much higher than any other political party because of intra party fighting and factionalism.
The ZPP said purges of alleged supporters of deposed former Vice-President Joice Mujuru were witnessed even at lower levels of the party.
“The party is currently going through a restructuring exercise at various party levels. This restructuring exercise is suspected to be aimed at cleansing the party of those members perceived to belong to the Mujuru faction.”
ZPP said the violence came in the form of threats, intimidation and physical confrontation.
“There is a marked increase of Zanu PF party activists who were victims of violations; 51 cases involving Zanu PF victims were recorded in the month of January 2015 compared to 67 cases recorded in December 2014. The perpetrators of violence against the noted Zanu PF activists were also Zanu PF activists.”
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