Legislators formulating policies in a drunkard stoop: ZINASU

HARARE – Zimbabwean students have warned the “drunk” Zanu PF led government to “stop urinating on the masses”.

Gilbert Mutubuki, Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu)-in a typical student activism militant language—launched a stinging attack on the ruling party, saying it is flip flopping.

“You have Olivia Muchena, minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development saying students’ grants and loans will be re-introduced, but Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa allocated little money to students. The same Muchena who promised us loans was busy clapping when Chinamasa read out his budget which allocated us little money,” Mutubuki said.

“This is a clear sign that some of the MPs are drunk and we call upon them to formulate policies when they are sober.”

Mutubuki went on with the attack on Zanu PF saying the ruling party is undermining the people.

“We demand that the Robert Mugabe led government stop urinating on the masses. This is unacceptable and we will not accept that,” Mutubuki said.

He added that Zanu PF has abandoned the people who voted them into power.

“Zinasu has learnt with great disappointment that with less than a year the government has already forgotten what it promised its people during elections to the extent that it dramatically turned its back to its people,” said Mutubuki.

The students demanded that the government fund the Basic Education Assistance Module Beam (Beam) programme.

Ngoni Masoka, the permanent secretary in the Public Service ministry, told a parliamentary portfolio committee on Public Service Labour and Social Welfare last week, that only $15 million was budgeted for Beam this fiscal year, a figure he said was grossly insufficient.

He said this will result in almost a million of Zimbabwean orphans and disadvantaged children, who depend on State assistance to pay school fees, being unable to enrol at schools.

“Zinasu openly condemns the failure by government to fund the Basic Education Assistance Module Beam (Beam) resulting in hundreds of thousands of students under this programme likely to drop out if the government fails to provide an urgent solution to the problem.”

On student loans and grants, Mutubuki demanded that minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development, Olivia Muchena, fulfil her pledges.

“In the same vein we demand the minister to honour her promise, given that last year she promised the re-introduction of grants and loans. With full knowledge that education is our right we therefore demand loans and grants to replace the cadetship scheme which failed beyond doubt.”