From University World News (UK)A legislator has taken the looting of funds from the private Africa
University to parliament through an upcoming question and answer
session. Politicians said three other universities claimed donor money
vanished from their accounts. Parliament’s order paper states that
Misheck Kagurabadza, of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), will
ask Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Stan Mudenge if he is
aware that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe withdrew money from the Africa
University Public Sector Management Programme forex current account and
did not reimburse the university. Kagurabadza will also ask Mudenge if
he could inform parliament when the money will be refunded "so that the
programme can resume its normal operation".
In an interview, Kagurabadza confirmed his intention to question
Mudenge on the raiding of university foreign currency accounts. Africa
University, a private institution connected to the Methodist Church,
failed to respond to questions asking about the amounts involved. Two
legislators involved in the parliamentary education portfolio committee
told University World News that three other universities had also
approached them saying that donor money for different projects had
disappeared. They could not give details before tabling the matters in
parliament as per procedure. The looting of foreign currency accounts,
which happened before the formation in February of an inclusive
government involving former opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai,
who is now Prime Minister, and Mugabe, is not limited to universities.
Recently Hivos, a Dutch development organisation, said it was demanding
repayment from the Reserve Bank of a total of EUR90,000 which it said
has not been accounted for from a total of EUR300,000 taken from its
account by the central bank. The organisation has since opened a new
bank account in Botswana. Last year, the Global Fund to Fight Aids,
Tuberculosis and Malaria said EUR5.64 million was missing from its bank
account in Zimbabwe. The money has since been returned. On 18 April,
Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono, a member of Mugabe’s inner circle,
admitted raiding foreign currency accounts. Gono defended the action,
saying it was done to save the country from "maximum danger" due to
difficulties arising from western sanctions. He also admitted in a
statement to purchasing 29 vehicles for three state universities –
Great Zimbabwe, Midlands State University and Chinhoyi University of
Technology – using foreign currency in expenditures that were outside
of the budget.
The Governor said this was necessary to retain skilled staff. "It is
hoped that those now in the relevant authorities play their reciprocal
part in ensuring that all our creditors who are owed money are repaid,"
Gono said. The raiding of private accounts has in part contributed to
western countries declining to release financial aid that is needed to
restore basic services such as education. To underline the urgency of
donor support needed by universities, Professor Levi Nyagura,
Vice-chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe – which has been closed
since February – said it was appealing for US$3.2 million to enable the
institution to reopen. "Without the funds, all other things cannot
move." Water problems had been a major concern as the institution had
not had supplies since May last year, Nyagura said. Last week, Britain
pledged an immediate 15 million (US$22.3 million) humanitarian aid
package for Zimbabwe’s unity government. But International Development
Secretary Douglas Alexander said "no UK money will pass through
government of Zimbabwe systems or through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe".