WAR veterans’ children are at risk of being kicked out of tertiary institutions after the government abruptly stopped paying their fees.
BENSON DUBE OWN CORRESPONDENT
Victor Tshabalala, a former Zipra combatant, said the government had stopped paying fees for his son who is a third year student at the Midlands State University.
“The government just stopped paying tuition for my son without notice. How can they just say the age limit is 23 years when initially we had an agreement that our children would be paid for until they finish at whatever level?” he said.
“As a war veteran, this is the only benefit I am getting that my child is assisted by the State in terms of fees. Why does this government behave like a chameleon?”
Tshabalala said officials at the Mhlahlandlela Government Complex in Bulawayo went to Harare for a meeting on the issue, but there had never been any feedback.
“These people who decided to have a cut-off age should have told us so that we find other alternatives. I am not the only one affected.
We are many and we wanted an answer before Heroes’ Day celebrations,” he said.
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Another war veteran Jabulani Dlodlo said officials had told them that the government would now pay fees for children below the age of 23.
“These government officials are saying the cut-off age should be 23 years. It is like they do not know that some degree programmes go beyond four years,” he said.
“According to them, a child does not fail and there is no room for a child who may fail to get a place.
“In rural Matabeleland, some children do not pass maths at once and they rewrite while in other regions children pass maths before even seating for the examination because every year, exams leak and what do you think the reason is?”
The provincial field officer for war veterans’ affairs at Mhlahlandlela, retired Colonel Marshal Mpofu, said they had stopped paying school fees for children above 23 years regardless of level, but the decision had since been suspended.
“We had a meeting last week in Harare on the issue and we concluded that we suspend the decision.
I hope my colleagues in Harare will honour the promise and save the children from embarrassment at colleges,” Mpofu said.
