ZLHR assist orphan get results

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights communications officer Kumbirai Mafunda has said the organisation has just brought relief to Oscar Tinashe, an orphaned boy, who completed his Ordinary Level education at Ngwere Makwau Secondary School in Masvingo.

"The school authorities led by Deputy Headmaster Mudzingwa had withheld Oscar's "O" Level examination results because the government through the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) had not cleared his outstanding school fees. As an orphan and a vulnerable child, Oscar qualified for BEAM assistance in the payment of his school fees and he was enrolled for BEAM in Form 2 and up until Form 4, the government through BEAM had been paying his fees," said Mafunda.

Mafunda said he sat for the November 2015 "O" Level examinations, where he wrote examinations for nine subjects, six of which were paid for under BEAM and three by a relative.

"After failing to collect his examination results, ZLHR lawyer Blessing Nyamaropa assisted Oscar and dispatched a letter to the school authorities on Monday 29 February 2016 advising them that it is against government policy to withhold students results for non-payment of school fees.

"Nyamaropa stated that since BEAM which is a government programme is involved, the authorities should have pursued the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare which administers BEAM to recover the outstanding fees, rather than to hold the life of an innocent vulnerable child at standstill," he said. "In addition, Nyamaropa also advised the school authorities that the High Court has stated in the case of Idah Nyabeza and Munyaradzi Murenga that withholding pupils' examination results for non-payment of school fees is illegal. We are glad that on Wednesday 02 March 2016, the school authorities invited Oscar to collect his "O" Level examination results and scored 6 A's, 1 B and 2 C's. So from now Oscar can now pursue his dreams and we wish him all the best."