Tertiary students expose increase in 'STDs' due to 'PPs' at colleges.

Students at Zimbabwe's institutes of higher learning have exposed an increase in what they call "STDs" short for Sexually Transmitted Diplomas or Degrees due to what they call "PP" short for Professional Prostitution.

In a two hour phone in live radio programme Musoro weNyaya on Radio Zimbabwe hosted by Sithandekile Simango on Sunday morning tens of students phoned the radio station explaining how they have to indulge in illicit sex activities for them to complete their course with a pass. According to ALL the students phoning in both male and female students find themselves involved in very dirty sexual activities with lecturers, staff members at the institutions and other people from outside in order to complete their studies and pass.

Shocking is that even male students phoned in to confess to being used in homosexual activities and being used as agents to prostitute their female counterparts for survival and a pass mark.

Female students from almost all over the country confessed to finding themselves in more than five relationships with different men so as to survive the tertiary life.

"I have to sleep with my lecturers for pass marks at college, sleep with a man outside college to raise money for food and accommodation, sleep with a kombi driver to get transport to get to college, sometimes even sleep with the landlord in case I delay or fail to pay rent and then sleep with a helpful slightly intelligent class mate to help with assignments as I don't get time to do school work because of the various other man I have to attend to," said a female student attending a college in Belvedere Harare.

Male students claim that they also find themselves preyed on by some men within and outside the colleges for homosexual sex for precisely the same reasons as their female mates. The young men claim that the more vulnerable ones are usual the younger ones fresh from High Schools who are favourites from the rich men and lecturers. In some cases the male students claim that they are used by both their female counterparts and the male "hunters" to arrange dates and meetings for them.

"We have female students who we deal with who send us to go out and hunt for rich men for them at a commission. There are also men prying the colleges looking for ladies and we hook them up at a fee," said one male student from a Masvingo college.

Students in Zimbabwe's tertiary institutions have been known to be battling for survival at the colleges for years as government fails to sustain them. Accommodation at the institutions is very limited resulting in most students seeking accommodation outside college residence and finding life very difficult.

The system of education at these institutions is also so reliant on the discretion of the lecture for the student to either pass or fail resulting in lecturers abusing the students to get pass marks.

Parents phoning into the live radio show pleaded with their children to be patient with them and survive with what they are able to provide them under the harsh economic conditions.

"I ask our children to please bare with us as their parents, things are very tough for us and what we can provide is all we have. They are adults and must just be patient for only three years and have a life after that," said a mournful parent.

"What's the use going to college for 3 to 4 years pass and die of AIDS 2 years later," lamented another parent.