150 students to benefit under the Presidential Scholarship Programme

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GOVERNMENT has invited about 150 students wishing to pursue various studies at South African universities to submit applications for the 2016 Presidential Scholarship Programme.
 Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa
(File Photo): Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa

GOVERNMENT has invited about 150 students wishing to pursue various studies at South African universities to submit applications for the 2016 Presidential Scholarship Programme.

BY MELODY CHIMHAU

In a statement by the programmes’ executive director, the scholarships is targeting underprivileged students mainly from rural districts of the country’s provinces for undergraduate and post-graduate studies in various disciplines such as health sciences, commerce, business management science, agriculture science, humanities and physical science.

“The applicants must reside in one of the ten provinces, preferably in the remote districts of the provinces and areas which did not benefit from previous selection will be given preference.

The student must be prepared to return to Zimbabwe on completion of studies and be bonded by the government of Zimbabwe,” the statement reads.

The programme has often come under heavy criticism for benefitting children of Zanu PF bigwigs and failing to remit students’ fees on time, leaving most of its intended beneficiaries stranded in South Africa.

Earlier this year, Vice-President Emmerson Mnagangwa said the Presidential Scholarships Programme was going to be scaled down as the government sought to invest in local vocational training centres.