Zimbabwe serious about utilising every brain in every corner of the country- Minister

HON. BRIG. GEN. (RTD.) MAYIHLOME: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. With regards to the Minister’s request that I clarify the second aspect on the quota system, we have seen affirmative action being applied to women and youth and this is why we are now going to have a quota system in this House. We have seen affirmative action being applied by certain departments of Government like the military. They make sure that every district is represented but with the trend that there is in this country, in the next ten years, we shall have teachers and nurses only coming from one region and that is a serious mistake that we are making as a country.

Every district should have a quota and apply affirmative action to ensure that people are also uplifted. We have just been discussing with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education where it has been noted that results from those schools are zero pass rate. It is not applicable to Binga but it is applicable to many schools in Matabeleland. I come from a district where more than 50% of the schools recorded zero pass rates at secondary schools. Some of them have been recording zero for the past 20 years. If that trend continues, we shall never have a teacher coming from those regions. We shall not have a nurse, doctor or engineer and so we are requesting for quota systems so that every district is covered. I rest my case. Thank you.

HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I wish to thank Hon. Mayihlome for his explanation on what he means by quota system. I would want to clarify our policy of expanding access to higher and tertiary education. I would also want to touch on the regions that he has talked about. We know there are gaps of higher and tertiary education institutions in Mashonaland Central, Manicaland, Matabeleland South, Mashonaland West and Matabeleland North. We have made sure that, for example, I will start from what we have done in the Second Republic.

For the first time, we have a Teacher’s College in Hwange which we call Hwange Teacher’s College and it has recruited a lot of teachers, most of whom are coming from Matabeleland North. We have for the first time started a technical college in Binga and we have recruited students there. We have started a technical college in Plumtree and we have recruited students there. We are expanding Gwanda State University and we are recruiting students there. We are expanding Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic in a very big way and we are recruiting students there. We are building a Polytechnic in Chivi and we are recruiting students there. We are starting a polytechnic in Beitbridge and we are recruiting students there. We are starting polytechnics in Chipinge and we are recruiting students there. It is all about being serious on how we are treating this country. We are very serious in taking into consideration the brains of our people and utilising every brain that is in every corner of this country. It is a very important national interest question that we will do that.

On a question of policy, I also want to say that we have done what is called the Zimbabwe National Qualifications Frameworks. What does this framework say? It says you can reach Grade 10, which is PHD or Dr. of Technology from any angle. You could be coming from a vocational training and then you upgrade to a polytechnic and then you go to the university. We are also having an approach which is called the integrated skills outreach and expansion programme where we are going to communities and having them access to higher education. Therefore, the issue of quotas and inclusivity has been dealt with very thoroughly by Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa’s Government and we are moving. I want to implore all our parliamentarians to move with us. I thank you.

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