News / Education
Biti blocks scholarship funds
14 Feb 2011 at 05:19hrs | Views
FINANCE Minister Tendai Biti says he has blocked treasury funding for the Presidential scholarship scheme which has sent hundreds of students to study at universities in South Africa.
Biti said the cash-strapped government did not have the funds to support the scheme.
"It's a private trust and we will not fund it. We have not funded it since I became minister," Biti was reported by local media as saying.
Established several years ago and funded by the state, the Presidential Scholarship Scheme was aimed at helping talented young Zimbabweans from poor backgrounds get to access university education.
However, Biti said he has not funded the scheme since he came into office.
"It is a fund created for sentimental reasons to take students to Fort Hare, so we cannot fund it. Besides we don't have the money," Biti said.
"The president wanted us to fund it to the tune of $54-million yet it's private, just like the Reagan Foundation and the Thabo Mbeki Foundation."
Critics claim the scheme now the exclusive preserve of Zanu-PF officials, senior civil servants, soldiers and war veterans who are rewarded for their loyalty to Mugabe.
Beneficiaries are sent to various South African Universities such as the universities of Witwatersrand, Rhodes, Cape Town and Fort Hare where Mugabe got his law degree.
Higher education minister, Stan Mudenge said there were other ways of funding the programme.
"The president will find the money elsewhere if Biti does not pay for the scheme," he said.
"It is funny that the people who went to college for free are the ones who are now blocking scholarships for other intelligent youngsters who come from poor backgrounds" said one analyst.
"Biti went to the UZ when Mugabe was still paying students for going to college. He used to get a grant from the same government that he is blaming for educating students from poor backgrounds", the analyst added.
Biti said the cash-strapped government did not have the funds to support the scheme.
"It's a private trust and we will not fund it. We have not funded it since I became minister," Biti was reported by local media as saying.
Established several years ago and funded by the state, the Presidential Scholarship Scheme was aimed at helping talented young Zimbabweans from poor backgrounds get to access university education.
However, Biti said he has not funded the scheme since he came into office.
"It is a fund created for sentimental reasons to take students to Fort Hare, so we cannot fund it. Besides we don't have the money," Biti said.
"The president wanted us to fund it to the tune of $54-million yet it's private, just like the Reagan Foundation and the Thabo Mbeki Foundation."
Critics claim the scheme now the exclusive preserve of Zanu-PF officials, senior civil servants, soldiers and war veterans who are rewarded for their loyalty to Mugabe.
Beneficiaries are sent to various South African Universities such as the universities of Witwatersrand, Rhodes, Cape Town and Fort Hare where Mugabe got his law degree.
Higher education minister, Stan Mudenge said there were other ways of funding the programme.
"The president will find the money elsewhere if Biti does not pay for the scheme," he said.
"It is funny that the people who went to college for free are the ones who are now blocking scholarships for other intelligent youngsters who come from poor backgrounds" said one analyst.
"Biti went to the UZ when Mugabe was still paying students for going to college. He used to get a grant from the same government that he is blaming for educating students from poor backgrounds", the analyst added.
Source - Byo24News
