Veterans of Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) – which was Zapu’s
military wing during the armed struggle – is paying the tuition fees for the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) dropouts using funds it secured abroad.
“We took the initiative as ZIPRA veterans to act on a humanitarian base by assisting students who are not learning in order to revitalize the education system in the country. We are assisting those students who are already at university and have been dropping out because they can no longer afford the fees,” said retired colonel Lazarus Ncube, a ZIPRA veteran.
University students continue to hold weekly protests over the high tuition fees that the government says are justifiable in a bid to restore the once vibrant education sector.
The government has failed to pay tuition fees for the students under its cadetship programme. Students who obtain government funding under the programme are bonded after the completion of their studies.
To date, students who have applied for the programme have not received anything from the Government. The unity government formed in February this year by President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has promised to restore the education
sector. However, the administration’s failure to mobilize substantial financial
support from rich Western countries could hinder its goal.