HARARE – Over 10 000 students in tertiary institutions across Zimbabwe have so far benefitted from a scholarship fund bankrolled by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Presidential Envoy and Ambassador at Large Uebert Angel.
The Office of the Presidential Envoy and Ambassador at Large (OPEAAL Mnangagwa Scholarship Scheme) was set up as an apolitical fund that plans to reach 100 000 students in the next five years.
Its reported the initial goal of the fund was to benefit 2000 students but the Spirit Embassy: GoodNews Church founder injected more funds to expand the programme.
“HE Ambassador Uebert Angel has paid tuition fees for 2600 tertiary students bringing number to just over 10000 now since inception.
“This year most beneficiaries were from polytechnics, as they were being overlooked for some time,” OPEAAL said in a statement.
OPEAAL say the fund was set up in honour of President Mnangagwa’s call to assist Zimbabweans, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds.
A similar scheme, the Presidential Scholarship Fund, run by the late President Robert Mugabe closed in March 2014 after it ran out of money.
An estimated 4000 students studying outside the country were left stranded as the tax funded initiative collapsed.
The fund, set up in 1995, was left owing South African universities more than R11 million (US$1million) in outstanding fees for the students, many of whom were suffering hardship.