BEITBRIDGE senator Tambudzani Mohadi has claimed several schools in Matabeleland were shunning fees paid in South African rand citing its declining value, forcing thousands of pupils out of school in the process.
BY SILAS NKALA
The rand is the most dominant currency in Matabeleland South due to the region’s proximity to South Africa.
Mohadi raised the issue before Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora in Parliament last week.
“My question minister (Dokora) is that last time I raised this question about other currencies that are being used in Zimbabwe, like the rand and the pula, you will find that at schools, teachers are chasing children away from school when ever their parents are paying fees in rands,” Mohadi said.
“As a result, most of the children are no longer going to school because the headmasters are chasing them away from school. What should be done to these headmasters, who are doing this, as it is that all currencies are legal tender in Zimbabwe and rand and the pula as well?”
Although Dokora admitted that some schools were doing that, he indicated that there has been no official or formal report made to the ministry.
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He urged parents to report such schools to their respective regional education directors.
“It is true that she [Mohadi] asked this question before and I did respond to it, that if there are instances where this practice of turning down what is a legal tender in this country in the multi-currency regime and if any of our institutions are turning down acceptance of this legal tender — those schools should be reported through our system,” Dokora said.
“I am quite happy to receive the list from the honourable member and we will take action.”
Mohadi’s remarks come at a time schools in Matabeleland have been rated as the worst that are experiencing dropouts and anchor at the bottom of “A” Level pass rate of the 2015 examinations.
