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Killing
the future, today
Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition
October 11, 2005
Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition wishes to highlight its serious concern on the state
of the education sector in Zimbabwe. The gross underfunding of the sector
and the politicisation of state institutions is a worrying development
that does not only threaten the future of Zimbabwe, but reverses the gains
of our struggle.
Despite
having received the largest fiscal vote in the 2005 national budget, education
funds were wiped out by inflation which, if the government were serious,
would have brought relief in the mid term fiscal review policy statement
of August 2005.
Teachers
continue to get $3million dollars as salaries against a monthly poverty
line of $6.5million dollars. The fundamental point of worry is the rhetoric
that the government has no money when the same government plans to dish
out an unbudgeted $36 billion to ex-detainees and more than $80 billion
to the senate. From this analysis, we conclude that the government is
no longer concerned about Zimbabwe’s future but merely the survival of
Zanu PF party, hence the patronising gratuities and senate seats.
State
Institutions, especially colleges and universities have succumbed to
Zanu- PFs patronage trap. Lecturers and students who celebrate the idea
of universality and advancing the frontiers of knowledge are subject
to reproach and expulsion from various institutions. The Midlands
State University (MSU) and the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) are the
most notorious institutions known for not tolerating free minds and
research.
Recently,
the student union’s representatives from the two institutions have faced
various forms of torture. Six UZ student leaders were expelled from their
residences after highlighting the plight of more than 200 students that
were sleeping in common rooms, dysfunctional toilets and general hunger
among the students union.
The government’s
actions are like killing the future of Zimbabwe today. Education ensures
the progress of Zimbabwe in future and the extermination and shrinking
of education means seriously destabilizing Zimbabwe’s tomorrow.
Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition calls upon the Zanu PF government to safeguard education,
a gain of the liberation struggle. Education practitioners must be fairly
remunerated progressively to address the hyperinflation in Zimbabwe. Similarly,
the quashing of free minds in the students union is retrogressive as all
progressive and developed nations thrive on ideas and not force.
The ministries
of education are called upon to guard our independence and save the quality
with which Zimbabwe’s education was known. Using schools, univerisities
and colleges as instruments of control and manipulation does not work
as students, teachers and lecturers are thinkers and not mere iron tools
that can be fabricated at any slight force.
Issued
by:
Dr Elizabeth
Marunda
Crisis Coalition Spokesperson
Visit the Crisis in
Zimbabwe fact sheet
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