Why is Zimbabwe comparing fees at local universities with those in the region when it refuses to compare salaries with those in the region – MP asks?

Therefore Madam Speaker I request, through you, that you give the Committee on Higher and Tertiary Education to revisit the request for having an all stakeholders workshop where the issue of educational funding in our higher and tertiary institutions is going to be resolved to a point that will satisfy the interest of the students and the interest of the parents who are also failing to fund the fees and also even at primary level, we are having situations which need all stakeholders to come and resolve the issue. 

Madam Speaker, I also want our Government to be sensitive.  They cannot continue to relate the fees with the region.  When we are raising salary issues, they reject us to compare with the region.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Hon. Hamauswa, you are now debating what the Minister has said.

HON. HAMAUSWA:  But you have heard what I have said Madam Speaker.  Thank you.

HON. RAIDZA:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.

HON. NDEBELE:  But you cannot take to the floor before a ruling is made.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  I ruled.  I said I have heard what he has said.

HON. RAIDZA:  My point of order Madam Speaker is that if it pleases you, I wanted the Minister responsible for higher education to bring a Ministerial Statement to this House that will give us far more details with statistics and everything so that at least we will be having somewhere to interrogate some of these issues from.  Thank you Madam Speaker.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Thank you Hon. Raidza.  I am sure the Hon. Leader of Government has taken note of that.  He will relay the message to the responsible Minister.  Thank you.

HON. T. MLISWA:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.  Ministers have a tendency not to bring Ministerial Statements.  I think you must direct the Portfolio Committee on Higher and Tertiary Education to meet as soon as possible and do an enquiry on it.  They are the only organisation that can exist.  A Ministerial Statement will not come.  So the Portfolio Committee is there to do its work, let it be directed to it and the Minister is called to deal with it.  I think it would bring a lasting resolution to this.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Thank you Hon. Mliswa, whilst the Portfolio Committee is doing its own work, the responsible Minister can also bring the Ministerial Statement to the House.

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