Mugabe told to bring back Presidential Scholarship students

MDC 99 leader Job Sikhala has called on President Robert Mugabe to discontinue the Presidential Scholarship Programme as beneficiaries were living like orphans in South African universities with the Zimbabwean government failing to give students grants and pay for their fees.

Sikhala suggested that Mugabe instead, selects beneficiaries that would be taken to local universities to reduce strain on both government and the students.

"Zimbabweans students on President Mugabe's Presidential Scholarship at various Universities dotted around South Africa are living like orphans without care.

"They have gone several semesters without their fees and grants paid. They have been turned into beggar," Sikhala said.

"They are struggling to get meals at the Universities now despite the government promise that they will settle the debts. I wonder why the government is still continuing with this program when it is not able to fulfil its salary increment to civil servants."

Sikhala said it was clear government was broke.

"The programme was only necessary when Zimbabwe still had a single University in the form on the University of Zimbabwe. UZ's entry requirements were very tough. During our time, you could not be admitted at the University with less than 11 points.

But because of the sprouting of universities in each and every province, the admission requirements have been lowered significantly," Sikhala said.

"One person can now be admitted at University with 5 points. If the President wants to continue with his programme, he can select students for local universities than dumping them into beggars in SA. It's no longer necessary to have our students stressed in a foreign country if our government doesn't have money.