News / Education
Update on Mugabe's scholarship programme
28 Jun 2015 at 15:40hrs | Views
The controversial Presidential Scholarship Programme seeks to send 150 students on scholarship to several South African universities next year.
The Fund, a brainchild of President Robert Mugabe, has over the years enrolled thousands of "underprivileged" students at universities in South Africa.
But critics say it has largely benefited children of Zanu PF officials.
Enrolment of new beneficiaries was temporarily suspended last year amid revelations that the government was battling to pay tuition fees to cover those still on the programme.
The programmes Executive director Chris Mushowe said applications are now open for six disciplines.
On offer are engineering (40 places), health sciences (20), commerce/ business management science (30) Agriculture science (30), Humanities (20), Science (10).
Observers have, for many years, questioned why the millions of dollars poured into the programme, ostensibly to fund students at foreign universities, were not channelled to fledgling local tertiary institutions crying out for massive financial injections.
The scholarship fund's failure to pay tuition and provide welfare allowances to the students has reportedly forced some of them into vices such as prostitution and drug dealing to earn a living.
Over the last few years, the students have been exposed to poverty and other social ills spawned by poverty.
The Fund, a brainchild of President Robert Mugabe, has over the years enrolled thousands of "underprivileged" students at universities in South Africa.
But critics say it has largely benefited children of Zanu PF officials.
Enrolment of new beneficiaries was temporarily suspended last year amid revelations that the government was battling to pay tuition fees to cover those still on the programme.
On offer are engineering (40 places), health sciences (20), commerce/ business management science (30) Agriculture science (30), Humanities (20), Science (10).
Observers have, for many years, questioned why the millions of dollars poured into the programme, ostensibly to fund students at foreign universities, were not channelled to fledgling local tertiary institutions crying out for massive financial injections.
The scholarship fund's failure to pay tuition and provide welfare allowances to the students has reportedly forced some of them into vices such as prostitution and drug dealing to earn a living.
Over the last few years, the students have been exposed to poverty and other social ills spawned by poverty.
Source - Newsday
