Students bay for Jonathan Moyo's blood

Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo and his deputy Dr Godfrey Gandawa must resign following allegations of corruption involving $270 000 they reportedly siphoned from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef), the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) has said.

In a statement yesterday, Zinasu urged the Chancellor of State universities, President Mugabe, to deal with the two "corrupt ministers''.

"We are also appealing to our Chancellor President Robert Gabriel Mugabe to stop protecting criminals, but to let justice take its course," said Zinasu secretary-general Makomborero Haruzivishe.

"Failure to do so will result in days of determined campus shutdowns till corruption in the education sector is wiped and free education delivered to the Zimbabwean students as espoused in our Constitution and promised in Zim-Asset.

"It is folly for Government ministers who masquerade as development oriented officials to loot what belongs to the students leaving them vulnerable." Haruzivishe said the student union had been consistently calling for transparency around the fund since students on attachment went for months without receiving their Zimdef allowances.

"The result is devastating, pauperisation of students, corrosive effects on students' dignity and image, and an unprecedented rise in STIs in colleges as multitudes resort to transactional sex for survival," he said.

Allegations pointed to corrupt and fraudulent transactions involving the ministry of higher and tertiary education science and technology, Zimdef and two companies namely Fuzzy Technologies (Pvt) Ltd and Wisebone Trading. According to the ZACC summary, below are key points in which Prof Moyo was involved:

• Allegation one: $95 800 siphoned out under pretext of purchase of 10×3 dimension printers.

• Allegation two: $19 030 is deposited into Ace Cycles account to purchase 173 gents bicycles. $7 260 deposited to purchase additional 62 gents and 4 ladies' bicycles, that were allegedly distributed to his Tsholotsho constituency.

• Allegation three: $24 000 applied for by Gandawa as loan on behalf of Moyo.