Letter recalling students a hoax

By MSINDISI FENGU

THE MAN whose name was attached to a media statement calling for the repatriation of Zimbabwean University of Fort Hare graduates has described the letter as a “hoax”.

Gadzira Chirumhanzu, to whom the statement had been attributed, yesterday denied sending it to the media.

The statement had urged the South African Government and the ANC to cancel the work permits of 71 Zimbabwean UFH graduates and send them to work in Zimbabwe.

“This is a hoax; if it was April, I would say it is an April Fool’s Day joke. I’ve never sent out that statement and have nothing to do with it,” Chirumhanzu said.

He also said he was not a Zanu-PF spokesperson in South Africa.  “I’m in Zimbabwe and I’m the Zanu-PF director for Science and Technology.

“Someone could have sent that e-mail from an Internet café and registered my name as the user.”

Chirumhanzu said Zanu-PF was not involved in the presidential scholarship.
“This is a national programme run by government geared for poor, mostly rural, youth. It has nothing to do with the party.”

In the statement some of the graduates identified are in fact already back in Zimbabwe working as professionals.

On top of the list was the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) president Morgan Tsvangirai’s nephew, Tawonga Tsvangirai, who also obtained the scholarship in 2001.

Tawonga and other former students were surprised to hear of the list.

“I applied for the scholarship in 1998 and two intelligence officers came to my home in 2001 and told me that my application had been approved.
“This was after many years without receiving any correspondence. I guess they went to the files and dug out my name…it was a strategy for Zanu-PF, as at that time MDC was being established,” he said.

“There are people who are already in Zimbabwe and are working there … and some of them were my classmates.” 

UFH Agricultural Economics lecturer Abyssinia Mushunje , who also benefited from the scholarship, said it was only the Zimbabwean government that was eligible to recall graduates, not a political party.

“I help students with matters pertaining to the scholarship at UFH and only government can make this call.

“The person who sent the statement is mischievous … the Zimbabwe government would have communicated with South Africa about this matter.

“I was with Chris Mushohwe , the executive director of the scholarship programme in Zimbabwe, on Friday. He didn’t mention anything relating to this list ,” Mushunje said.

South African Department of International Relations and Co- operation’s chief director Saul Kgomotso Molobi said the department would wait for an official communication from the Zimbabwe Government on the matter.

“Upon receipt of such communication, the matter will be dealt with appropriately through the existing diplomatic channels,” he said. 

Mushohwe could not be reached for comment. Dispatch Online