Back to Index

Students puzzled by Government's position
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
February 14, 2011

It never rains but pours for the students' community. Firstly it was the announcement of the revival of the loan and grant scheme which died prematurely before its manifestations, the promises of salary increments of civil servants (in particular lecturers) and now the demand of full payment of arrears for students who were believed to be on cadetship.

It came as a shock for students at Bulawayo Polytechnic for the students who applied for the cadetship scheme in 2008 only to be informed this year that they were not successful in acquiring the government funding. These students are expected to pay the whole amount of arrears before the end of this term which ends in April.

Mr Dewa who happens to be the Director of Manpower Development in the Ministry of Higher Education on 5 January 2011 wrote a memo to all teachers' and polytechnics informing them not to sack students who are not able to pay fees but it then comes as a surprise that the same government will then turn away the students who will have applied.

The government has behaved like a confused lot since the colleges then approve the students are not in a position to pay who are later turned away by the government itself. Abraham Jawi the ZINASU Bulawayo Vice Chairperson who is also a student at Bulawayo Polytechnic said, 'The government is always at conflict with itself as it gives contradicting positions now and then, we really do not know what is happening with this Inclusive government.'

The general message that is within the students' community is that the government has to show some levels of seriousness in addressing students' issues and the crisis that is looming in institutions of higher learning. If the existence of the inclusive government means more suffering better for it to be dismantled the earlier the better.

Meanwhile, ZINASU wishes the nation the best on the Valentines' day and urges all to practice safe sex, for a healthier and prosperous Zimbabwe.

Visit the ZINASU fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP