Parents pay teachers as education collapses

After passing his A levels in  2007 and enrolling at the Midlands State
University in 2008, Martin was very confident that the poverty woes
that his mother and siblings were faced with would soon be a thing of
the past.

Being the first born and the only son in single-parented family of
four, Martin is completing his Economics degree and preparing to begin
supporting his family.

I was already visualising our lives after I had completed my degree
program. Although I was aware that jobs were hard to find in Zimbabwe
and my dream was to cross the border where the field I had been
studying in is well paid, said Martin.

However, with the new University fees, Martin says his dreams have been shattered and his future jeopardized.

The Midlands State University which had pegged its fees between
US$500-720 has again raised fees with the lowest undergraduate fees for
locals at US$1,200. According to the University website, Undergraduate
foreign students will pay between US$3 308 and 4 890. Master's students
will have to fork out between US$1 770-2 440 depending on the faculty.
State Universities have argued that charging fees in foreign currency
will enable them to pay the lecturers that government has failed to pay.

ZINASU has condemned the move and argued that it is the government's responsibility to pay the lecturers.

It isn't the responsibility of students to pay lecturers. It is a pity
that our education has been commoditised and simply shows that Mugabe's
government had completely failed, said Midlands State University
spokesperson, Blessing Vava.

Vava said that charging fees in foreign currency would deter students from studying and deny them their right to education.

Relevant authorities should have sober minds and honour their pledge of education for all. From the surveys that we have carried out as a student's union, over 90 per cent of the students population at tertiary institutions will not be able to pay these exorbitant fees, said Vava.

Vava also explained that despite the government pretending that schools have opened and things are normal, a visit to high density residential areas depicts the actual picture.

I have visited various suburbs in Gweru and the streets are filled with school children playing instead of being in school. Even at Universities, the economic meltdown has driven some students to engage in immoral activities including prostitution.

There is chaos at most schools in the Midlands Province with only a few having opened for the first term of the 2009 academic year. Teachers have not reported to work and have condemned the voucher payment system insisting that they want their salaries in cash so they can make their own decisions on what to do with their salaries. The schools that have opened are depending on parents to pay teachers.

Archbishop Tutu affirms campaign concerns

Kumi Naidoo on his 18th day of his 21 day hunger strike for Zimbabwe met with Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Saturday to discuss the ongoing crisis in Zimbabwe. Tutu also wanted to reinforce his support to the Save Zimbabwe Now solidarity campaign. 

It is important that the people of Zimbabwe know that they are not forgotten. Ubuntu has become a cheapened term but the Save Zimbabwe Now campaign revitalizes this concept. When we allow others to become dehumanized, then we ourselves become dehumanized and it is God's intention is for us to all be family, as the notion of Ubuntu reinforces.

Archbishop Tutu recognises and respects the decision of the political parties to enter into a power sharing agreement. However he stressed that the key concerns of the Save Zimbabwe Now campaign need to be adhered to. 

• The immediate cessation in abductions and torture;

• Humanitarian agencies to be allowed to work in an unrestricted environment. This is even more urgent in light of the deepening Cholera and HIV/AIDS epidemic.

• Unjust legislation like the Access to Information and the Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) to be repealed immediately.

• An enabling environment for the deal signed on 27 January 2009 by all political parties to be enforced. – savezimbabwenow.com