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Response to 2009 National Budget
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
February 03, 2009

Zimbabwe National Students Union (hereafter, ZINASU), remain in the vanguard of defending academic freedoms in Zimbabwe and beyond. The 2009 National Budget presents a gigantic generational challenge to our nation. The budgetary allocation to education is a naked affront to the dreams of our founding fathers and mothers who wanted education to be for all and not only a sacrosanct privilege of the chosen elites.

The untoward pronouncements by the acting Minister of Finance Patrick Chinamasa to the effect that our parents can afford to pay fees in foreign currency are irresponsible at best and foolish at worst. It is common cause that our parents are out of employment and the few still at work are paid in worthless local currency. For instance, a qualified university lecturer is getting an equivalent of $US 5 per month and the minimum fees for universities are pegged at $US 1200 per semester. Further, it is hypocritical for Patrick to make those reckless statements when he and his gang are beneficiaries of free education.

In addition, the budgetary allocation to education falls short of the recommended 26% of the national budget as stipulated by UNESCO. More disheartening, the official albeit ill-advised dollarisation of education in the country will culminate in unprecedented college drop out rates and concomitantly putting the future of a whole generation at risk. This will create a severe education deficit in the country. And a nation without education has no future. Exactly that.

Be it as it may, ZINASU will continue to stand by the students at all times. More concretely, the students union has since launched a national campaign against dollarisation of education in Zimbabwe (NACADEZ). The campaign is aimed at advocating for the immediate reversal of the new fees structure. Our first port of call is the parliament. And if the parliament fails to address our plight then national protests become a hard, cold reality.

Finally, we want to re-affirm our commitment to support a broad-based and democratic education recovery process in Zimbabwe. It's our country too.

Visit the ZINASU fact sheet

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