Under the new fee structure pupils attending government primary schools situated in low density urban areas will now pay US$150 per term, while foreign pupils in the same schools will be required to pay US$300. Pupils attending primary schools in high density areas will be required to pay US$20 in tuition fees per term while foreigners pay US$300. While students in rural areas don't pay anything, foreign students in the same schools will still have to pay US$300.
Coltart said Forms One to Four pupils attending secondary schools located in low density areas will now be charged US$200 per term while Forms Five and Six will pay US$280. Foreign pupils attending the same schools will pay US$600. Meanwhile Forms One to Four pupils attending high density suburb schools will pay US$100, while A Level students will be charged US$180 per term. Foreign pupils will have to fork out US$400 in tuition fees.
Although primary school students in the rurals areas will not pay anything their secondary school counter-parts will be required to pay US$50 for attending Forms One to Four. A Level students there will be required to pay US$80, with foreign students paying US$200. The same Education Ministry last month paid teachers US$100 vouchers as allowances on top of their worthless Zimbabwe dollar salaries. It is also against this salary background that the new fee structures are being viewed as unreasonable.
Our correspondent in Harare Simon Muchemwa said many sectors are being affected by high charges for goods and services pegged in foreign currency. He said the City of Harare for example announced a new US$185million dollar city budget presented and approved by the council on the 4th of March. Under that budget, burial fees will be US$150 to US$250 depending on the area, refuse collection (US$10-20) per week, ambulance fees US$10, vehicle licence fees US$50-150 depending on vehicle and clinic fees of US$10 among other charges.
MDC Ministers are running most of the ministries which are presiding over companies and institutions charging high services charges. Examples include the ministries of Information and Communication Technology, Energy and Power Development, Education Sport and Culture and the Health Ministry. While Mugabe's party takes a back seat, the MDC it is feared will take the blame for the high service charges.