Ministry of Education engages Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission to deal with schools insisting on payment of fees in US dollars

HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: My supplementary question is that this is currently happening and children are losing out, including children who are in examination classes.  What is the Government doing because the Hon. Minister has just articulated the policy but already children are suffering and we cannot reverse that suffering once that happens because they are suffering from an illegality which is being perpetrated in our Government institutions? I thank you.

HON. E. NDLOVU: I hear the Hon. Senator, illegality is a challenge in this country, I am sure and we are all aware that the issue of the black market; we have been trying as Government to address that issue but schools continue to break the law.  What we have done is that we have engaged the Anti-Corruption Commission to track all those that are demanding foreign currency payments. We just pray that the Anti-Corruption Commission will do its part to assist us.  Mr. President, I think you are aware that as Government, we are in trouble in terms of the black market.  It is similar to what is happening in schools and I call upon all our people to resist these people who break the law and report them to the Anti-Corruption Commission.  I think the Commission can assist us. I thank you. 

HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: Mr. President, probably the Hon. Minister will be very useful to the country if she tells us how the children are being protected because this is an illegality, I do not know where the Anti-Corruption Commission would come in, how would the Anti-Corruption Commission respond to this practice which is happening in our school?  My question is, parents can afford to pay in local currency but schools have divided their fees into half foreign and half local currency and parents have got no access to foreign currency.  They are not being paid enough to pay for that and our children are now being denied to access lessons because they have not fulfilled that second portion of foreign currency.  Does that amount to an illegality?  I was of the opinion that the Minister should be very clear to the nation that is it the duty of the Anti-Corruption Commission or the Minister should make sure she brings order to her Ministry which she is superintending. 

HON. DR. E. NDLOVU:  Mr. President, I think the Senator should bear with me that I have no police force in my Ministry to enforce that policy.  Police force resides in another Ministry.  Mr. President, I am serving the nation. When he started his question, he said I am not serving the nation.  I think I have given myself 100% to the nation to make sure that I serve the nation as per my mandate from the President.  The Anti-Corruption Commission works with the Police.  If we raise issues, they also come in because that is part of their duty.  I think the Hon. Senator can advise me on the methodology that we can use.  It is an instrument or police that can enforce that.  I thank you.   

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