Disadvantaged students invited to apply for Presidential scholarships
safety nets to ensure that no pupil is left behind in terms of accessing education with orphans and those with peculiar cases where parents and guardians cannot afford should benefit.
He also said the Government will not tolerate unruly behaviour where school heads send pupils away due to non-payment of fees.
“Let me warn defiant school authorities that we are going to apply the law. We can’t continue to tolerate a situation where school authorities turn away children. That is illegal,” said the minister.
“It’s unconstitutional. We are compiling a list of schools who are defying and we are definitely going to take action. People are saying the Ministry of Education is a toothless bulldog.
“We have instruments in place and we are going to call on provincial education directors and district schools inspectors to charge those schools.
“We have instruments in place. We can’t tolerate this misbehaviour where people turn away learners.”
Minister Moyo said the Ministry will activate district command centres where reports can be made on the defiant school authorities. He said some of the school heads will be removed if they continue to turn away learners.
Instead, Minister Moyo said school authorities should sue parents or petition Parliament to enact tougher laws for parents and guardians not paying fees.
“Find ways of collective fees. Engage debt collectors and a debt collector will not demand any payment from you, from the school.
“They will demand payment from the parent or guardian who owes the school. What we don’t want is for you to embarrass our learners. No ways. We don’t want that,” he said.
The minister challenged parents and guardians to play an active role in ensuring that children get quality education through payment of fees on time.
“Delay in the payment of school fees and levies means that operations in schools will come to a halt and will come to a standstill,” said.
“It is an obligation for the parents and guardians that they pay school fees for their children and those children from underprivileged families we have the safety nets at disposal in the form of grant in aid in the most rural districts like Gokwe North, Binga and Lupane.”
AS the Harare Metropolitan built-up area flows towards the Dema tollgate, there are plans to move it south so that motorists living in peri-urban Dema, but working in Harare do not have to pay road tolls.
The moved toll plaza will be near the 59km peg along the Harare-Hwedza Road. So far more than 32 people from Seke are employed to conduct the works while more are expected to be employed soon.
The Skyline Tollgate is set to be moved to the 36km peg along the Harare-Masvingo Road, moving it outside the present urban set up, while the new Shamva tollgate which was in October moved from within the Harare urban built up area to Juru area, is now operational.
The Government recently announced that five tollgates on the outskirts of cities and towns were going to be moved further out to ease the financial burden on motorists living in peri-urban areas who had to pay road tolls twice daily.
There are plans to upgrade existing tollgates on major highways to ensure they can cope rapidly and easily with the growing volumes of traffic and do not become a choke point.
The tollgates listed for relocation were Skyline, Dema, Lion’s Den, Umguza and Shamva while those that are to be rehabilitated to standard levels are those near Norton, Esigodini, Mushagashi, Mupfurudzi and Colleen Bawn.
Zinara would fund the reconstruction, rehabilitation and relocation of the tollgates.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona, Deputy Minister Joshua Sacco and Government officials yesterday visited the new site where a ground breaking ceremony was held.
In an interview, the minister said the authorities had started the process of relocating the tollgate and construct the state-of-the-art toll plaza.
“I am actually delighted to be standing before you this afternoon to demonstrate that we have got a listening President and you have heard from the community that this was now a problematic tollgate within the community and it was no longer serving its purpose.
“Once again because of the listening President Cde Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, he then assigned me to come and hear the concerns of the citizenry.
“And I am happy that as we speak we have started the process of relocating the tollgate and we are standing here at the place where we are going to construct the state-of-the-art toll plaza and we are doing this using our own resources. I must commend the Second Republic where
DISADVANTAGED but academically gifted citizens have been called upon by the Government to apply for Presidential scholarships for undergraduate and post-graduate programmes amid calls for learners from Matabeleland region to capitalise on the opportunity.
Hundreds of less privileged students have over the years benefited from the programme, which has taken them to study in foreign universities.
In a recent statement, chief director in charge of Presidential and National Scholarships, Dr Wadzanai Kachere, said qualifying aspiring students at both undergraduate and post graduate level should apply and submit their documents through courier services or registered mail before the 26th of February 2024.
She said physical applications are to be submitted in person from February 26 to March 1 during working hours at the offices of Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in all the country’s 10 provinces. we are not just talking, but we are talking and implementing what we are talking,” he said.
He said the idea of visiting the area was not that because there was going to be a by-election, but it was because of President Mnangagwa’s mantra of not leaving anyone and no place behind.
“And I am happy that, yes, there is a by-election just in a few days to come, but this is not the idea behind of us coming. We are here because His Excellency is saying there is no place and no one who is going to be left behind and you have seen that we are moving across the country as the Ministry of Transport.
“Last week we were in Shurugwi, then Mutasa South, today we are here to demonstrate that yes in terms of infrastructure, we know the essence of infrastructure that it enables any given economy to prosper.
“We want to assure the people of Zimbabwe we are not only going to look at the tollgate, but we are also going to rehabilitate Seke Road which passes through Hatfield. We are also going to be rehabilitating the Chitungwiza Road which comes from Mbudzi Interchange.
According to the statement, applicants should have obtained 10 points at Advanced Level for the disciplines they want to undertake. However, students who want to take up science-related courses at undergraduate level should have obtained A and B in their A Level classes.
Those intending to enrol for post-graduate programmes should have upper-second class degree classification in their programmes.
Programmes on offer are in the Faculties of Engineering, Health Science, Science and Technology, Agricultural Sciences, Management Sciences, Sports and Social and Human Sciences at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Dr Kachere, said the Government is targeting disadvantaged, but gifted learners for the scholarships.
“The Presidential and National Scholarships Department in the Office of the President invites applicants to register with the Department for Scholarship Nomination for the 2024/2025 academic year.
“The registration process targets able, but disadvantaged and academically-gifted qualifying
“We are building the state-of-the-art Mbudzi Interchange. Work is progressing very well and are happy that we are on course and we will see very soon such a wonderful infrastructure. We are also progressing very well in terms of other developments.
“We are saying yes beyond this place we also have Hwedza-Mushandirapamwe Road which we are busy, we are seized with now rehabilitating and will take us to Marondera and it will also connect the Marondera Road which emanate from Harare-Goromonzi via Mutare to Forbes border post.
“I am happy again that last week we were at Forbes Border Post were you witnessed us trying to actually race against time and execute with speed the expansion of Forbes Border Post. So we are here not to demonstrate to the people of Zimbabwe and in particular Seke that we are here to be voted into power but to demonstrate the work ethic and the culture of the Second Republic,” Minister Mhona said.
Zanu PF candidate for Seke constituency Cde Munyaradzi Kashambe said he was happy that the plea of the people in the expanding students mainly from rural areas of the country’s 10 provinces, intending to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies at foreign universities,” reads the statement.
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Judith Ncube, said the academically gifted students in Matabeleland region and across the country should take advantage of the opportunity that has been availed.
“The call for applications has been made open and I want to encourage those who qualify to ensure that they submit their applications so that they benefit from this opportunity,” she said.
“The details of how they should apply have been publicised in the media, they should use that information and apply for the scholarships in the field of their choice. So many programmes are on offer.”
The minister said the scholarship programme was a fulfilment of the President’s call that no one should be left behind in provision of equal opportunities.
“The President is on record saying no place and no one should be left behind. urban area had been attended to.
“This issue of out tollgate has been giving the community a headache. We are aware that our Government is seized with a lot of projects that requires money. But we want to thank our listening President for answering to the peoples concerns and today we are here at this place where the tollgate will be relocated to.
“The development will not only improve our road but has already created employment for the people of Seke. Already 32 people will be employed and more will be employed,” he said.
Chief Seke said: “This is a good project here. Please go and thank the President for us. He has fulfilled our wishes. This project is important for the people of Seke. We have to thank our President and support him always. Seke will never be the same again.”
Recently, the tollgate just outside Harare city limits between the 19,5km and 20,5km pegs along the Harare-Nyamapanda Road, was moved north to between the 40km and 41km pegs on the highway and now no longer interferes with traffic that is essentially intra-urban within the greater Harare area.
The scholarships are an opportunity of not leaving anyone behind as far as access to higher education is concerned,” said Cde Ncube.
Meanwhile, Dr Kachere said masters’ programme applicants should be below 35 years of age while PhD applicants should be below 40 years by the end January next year.
She said applicants should be in possession of a valid passport or proof of application, write an application letter, as well as writing a motivational letter as part of the requirements.
She said applicants should also reference two letters from different persons or institutions and certified copies of A Level and O Level results slips or certificates.
Dr Kachere said post-graduate applicants should submit certified copies of transcripts of their universities. Applicants are also required to produce certified copies of their birth certificates and IDs.
They should also produce a CV showing the district of origin as shown by the birth certificate and ID and three functioning phone or cellphone contacts.