News / National
Harare Poly students resort to prostitution, drug trafficking
20 Nov 2024 at 21:05hrs | Views
In their tireless efforts to settle school fees arrears and sit for their forthcoming end-of-term examination, several students from Harare Polytechnic College have resorted to prostitution and drug trafficking in adjacent bars, fast food restaurants, brothels and hotels.
Speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of victimisation by their authorities, various students from the institution have confirmed that due to harsh economic environment and poverty experienced from their diverse backgrounds, they resorted to the social ill trade because authorities have forced them to clear arrears as an assurance to sit for end of term examination.
"In our quest to settle the arrears, we have opted to look for blessers in exchange for sex and goodies for an agreed service fee. The authorities are turning us away and despite the fact that we paid for examination fees, they have cautioned us that we won't sit for the forthcoming examination without clearing our arrears," a Refridgeration and Air conditioning female student has said.
"We are compelled to venture into prostitution without remorse because the authorities are not accepting even payment plans or withholding our results after permitting us to write first. They have been turning several students away for quite long and when we call parents, they don't have money, hence we decide to look for other avenues in order to clear our arrears," she added.
"We move as groups and approach our potential clients who will offer us anything after we disclose our plight to them. So far we have managed to pay some money though we are yet to fully clear the arrears and we use these facilities because they are convenient since after services, we deposit the money into our school account and to show you that we are genuine, some of our clients deposit even us$10 or us$20 into the school account first before we render the services and this is the bank and its agents where they deposit the money first," she added while pointing a nearby bank facilities at the restaurant and bar.
"We use these nearby facilities to our institution for convenience sake. We get most of our clients here and some offer us lunch as a group. We do this during the day and we move with some extra clothes to change," one of the ladies from the group said.
Meanwhile, some male students have confirmed that they also resorted to drug trafficking as a means to settle their arrears.
"Look, we move as groups in order to expand our market and assist each other during times of inconveniences. Though we push small quanties, we are realising some money towards fees payment," one of the students, DK has claimed.
"It is better for us to venture into this business because we get quick money. We can't miss the examination because of school fees arrears. Yes things are tough even for our parents, but we should devise other means for survival," he added.
"We just started with little capital and injected into this business. We are managing and so far some have managed to settle their arrears and because we are into this challenge together, they would therefore wait for others to clear their arrears whilst working together," he said.
Instead of responding to questions sent to his mobile cellphone's WhatsApp platform, Harare Polytechnic College's spokesperson, Admire Masuku could neither confirm nor deny the claims, but was evasive on giving clarity on why the institution has not been lenient with students to give them and opportunity to write examinations and withhold results thereafter, than exposing them into social ills.
"Leadership how are you? I don't think that's a true story. I am on my way to Harare Polytechnic. If you have time svika paPoly. Now paMarondera," Masuku said.
"Svika ndinenge ndava paPoly by 12 (Come. I will be at Harare Polytechnic College by 12 noon). I was away for the past 2 days saka handina information," Masuku said.
When contacted after the time he promised to be at the institution, Masuku became evasive to meet for interviews.
"Tasvikira kuDepartment manga muri kuma class. The ball is in your court," Masuku said on WhatsApp texts.
Speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of victimisation by their authorities, various students from the institution have confirmed that due to harsh economic environment and poverty experienced from their diverse backgrounds, they resorted to the social ill trade because authorities have forced them to clear arrears as an assurance to sit for end of term examination.
"In our quest to settle the arrears, we have opted to look for blessers in exchange for sex and goodies for an agreed service fee. The authorities are turning us away and despite the fact that we paid for examination fees, they have cautioned us that we won't sit for the forthcoming examination without clearing our arrears," a Refridgeration and Air conditioning female student has said.
"We are compelled to venture into prostitution without remorse because the authorities are not accepting even payment plans or withholding our results after permitting us to write first. They have been turning several students away for quite long and when we call parents, they don't have money, hence we decide to look for other avenues in order to clear our arrears," she added.
"We move as groups and approach our potential clients who will offer us anything after we disclose our plight to them. So far we have managed to pay some money though we are yet to fully clear the arrears and we use these facilities because they are convenient since after services, we deposit the money into our school account and to show you that we are genuine, some of our clients deposit even us$10 or us$20 into the school account first before we render the services and this is the bank and its agents where they deposit the money first," she added while pointing a nearby bank facilities at the restaurant and bar.
"We use these nearby facilities to our institution for convenience sake. We get most of our clients here and some offer us lunch as a group. We do this during the day and we move with some extra clothes to change," one of the ladies from the group said.
Meanwhile, some male students have confirmed that they also resorted to drug trafficking as a means to settle their arrears.
"It is better for us to venture into this business because we get quick money. We can't miss the examination because of school fees arrears. Yes things are tough even for our parents, but we should devise other means for survival," he added.
"We just started with little capital and injected into this business. We are managing and so far some have managed to settle their arrears and because we are into this challenge together, they would therefore wait for others to clear their arrears whilst working together," he said.
Instead of responding to questions sent to his mobile cellphone's WhatsApp platform, Harare Polytechnic College's spokesperson, Admire Masuku could neither confirm nor deny the claims, but was evasive on giving clarity on why the institution has not been lenient with students to give them and opportunity to write examinations and withhold results thereafter, than exposing them into social ills.
"Leadership how are you? I don't think that's a true story. I am on my way to Harare Polytechnic. If you have time svika paPoly. Now paMarondera," Masuku said.
"Svika ndinenge ndava paPoly by 12 (Come. I will be at Harare Polytechnic College by 12 noon). I was away for the past 2 days saka handina information," Masuku said.
When contacted after the time he promised to be at the institution, Masuku became evasive to meet for interviews.
"Tasvikira kuDepartment manga muri kuma class. The ball is in your court," Masuku said on WhatsApp texts.
Source - Byo24News
