Primary and Secondary Education deputy minister Paul Mavima, yesterday told the National Assembly that Grade 7 examination fees had been set at $3.
BY VENERANDA LANGA
Mavima said schoolchildren would start paying for the examination fees at Grade 5, parting with $1 every year.
“We are saying the purpose of this fund is to ensure Grade 7 exams are funded and efficient,” Mavima said.
“We were saying students should contribute $1 per year towards examination fees for Grade 7, and we also had an option for these students to contribute $1 per year from Grade 5 to Grade 7 so that when they are in Grade 7 they would have contributed $3 towards their exam fees.”
When Kuwadzana East MP Nelson Chamisa (MDC-T) argued that the fee contravened the Constitution, which advocates for free primary education, Mavima defended the decision saying the nominal fee was necessary to meet some of the costs involved in the administration of Grade 7 examinations.
He said the proposed $3 fee was highly subsidised as Grade 7 examinations cost $7 per student.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said he was doubtful if the biometric voters’ roll would be used in the June 10 by-elections as there were inadequate resources for its implementation.
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“On Tuesday, I presented the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill which aligns three Acts with the Constitution,” he said.
“With regard to the voluminous General Laws Amendment Bill, we finished drafting and it has been handed to Parliament for gazetting.
“I am not yet sure whether we are ready for a biometric voters’ roll because in order for it to be implemented, we need resources from the Finance ministry.” Mnangagwa also said traditional leaders just like any other citizens had the right to participate in party politics.
“However, in terms of our law chiefs are in the same category as civil servants who cannot hold positions in political parties, but they are entitled to form opinion as to which political party serves them well,” he said.
In an unrelated matter, Mines deputy minister Fred Moyo told Parliament that in 2014, Zimbabwe sold 5,9 million carats of diamonds in Antwerp, Dubai, and Harare worth $350 million as compared to 8,9 million carats in 2013 with a value of $453 million.
“This was a 33,7% drop in volume and a 22,7% drop in value, but a 14% increase in unit price realised in 2014. This was due to a drop in production resulting in moving from mining of alluvial to conglomerates which involves drilling and blasting,” Moyo said.
