Only a few days after the allocation of funds for students’ grants and loans by the ministry of finance, there are shocking revelations by the ministry of higher and tertiary education that the materialization of these funds may once again be a nightmare for the thousands of suffering students in tertiary institutions around the country. Presenting a report in parliament, the parliamentary portfolio committee on higher and tertiary education and science and technology made indications that there could be some “challenges” that could either delay the actualization of grants and loans, or deter their realization, slowly sprinkling freezing water on our educational funding future.
The committee indicted that it was concerned that the grant and loan scheme will be financed by diamonds revenue, meaning that it could only be operationalised upon the receipt of the revenue which would then mean “there will be” a time lag before students have access to these funds. It also indicated concern over the sustainability of the private banks student loan scheme, citing, as expected the issue of collateral security, interest rate and repayment period and obviously the subsequent high unemployment rates which would delay the servicing of the loans, failure of which would lead to the collapse of the system as the funds must revolve.
These revelations are such sad news, grossly insulting and unacceptable to us and all indications are that our Christmas present from the minister of finance is being ambushed and may subsequently be hijacked.
With 25.1% of the budget (US$1,003,496,000) having been channeled to education and US$296,171,000 (30%) of this amount being allocated to the ministry of higher and tertiary education (as per the recommended 2:1 ratio distribution between lower and higher education), the sheer determination of the ministry of finance and the minister Hon T.Biti, a former student and student leader himself, to redeem the education sector cannot be doubted by any sane man. The responsibility for pro-student policy coining and actualization, lying with the minister of higher and tertiary education Mudenge, now seems to be slithering away from the expected immediate redemption of the suffering students and this presents a challenge to us to take it upon ourselves to defend our academic future and freedoms.
Confronted with the broader realities that are consequent of the prime challenge of student funding and support, the ministry of higher and tertiary’s 2012 budget policies should largely focus on lobbying for increased student support instead of exactly the opposite as indicated by the retrogressive policy discourse that the ministry is taking. The continued unpopular debate by the ministry of higher and tertiary education that the Student grant and loan scheme will compete with the unpopular and partisan cadetship scheme should by now be a sealed chapter as the students have unequivocally stated their dislike of the later which has numerous unfavorable strings attached to it. The ministry wants to repeat the old trick of yesteryear of channeling the grants destined funds to the cadetship scheme, indicating that institutions are being owed US$24 851 610, and that “….it would be impossible to consider the Grants and loans scheme if the funds available are inadequate to cater for the existing debts”, which is such a severe insult to the suffering masses of students in tertiary institutions eagerly anticipating access to the grants and loans.
There are indications of a 45% increase in employment cost which implies an increase in salaries and wages for staff at tertiary institutions, which have been charging exorbitant fees in efforts to cater for these employment costs, and our expectation is that this should translate to significant lessoning of fees burdens on students, which would also make the funding efforts notable to some extent.
The failure by tertiary institutions to adhere to rational expenditure patterns that are in phase with the economic recovery pace continues to be an unchecked area and the ministry seems so dump about it, corroborating, condoning and perpetuating the unfavorable commercialization of education at public tertiary institution.
Prioritisation in expenditure remains crucial at such a time when our economy is struggling for revival in this highly politically charged environment. Student financial support and funding should be prioritized and funds should be immediately availed, with other less priority areas then earmarking the “diamond revenue” that some people want us to believe “takes time”. That we the students be played pony at the expense of our careers in broader political gaming between ministries is regrettable and will be safeguarded against. We would also like to call upon these various ministries to sincerely conduct themselves in manners that contribute to the betterment of peoples’ lives ahead of continuously serving and oiling their narrow self interest. What then are they doing in government if they are not there for us?
Students are thus being called to defend a great opportunity that is under siege. We demand that grants be available for undemanding access by the 7th of January when the first tertiary institution opens its doors for the new semester of 2012.
Lets stand up en mass to hamper, vigilantly thwart and unequivocally frustrate any evil machination to dampen our careers and future. It is our generational mandate to demand and defend our rights; we demand access to our grants without any further delay; the inception of a robust and clear funding framework that draws from the realities of our social status and also from regional and international best practices(there is the fundisa scheme in SA ,NSFAS,NFF to learn from); loan conditions that suit all deserving students; access based on merit not nepotism and gross discrimination of any form. Demanding the accordance of our academic freedoms and opportunity to realize our dreams is what our blood is worth. We demand a robust funding framework that enhances access and equity. Currently levels of access and equity are unacceptable. Moreover, access is highly inequitable in terms of gender, location and socio-economic status. We demand a policy that acts to address this twin challenge of access and equity.
Meanwhile, Zinasu Bulawayo is in the process of engaging other regions on the need to craft a national students charter, which would be, among other things(as our country transitions-hopefully to democracy): a blueprint for policies and laws determining the future of education and skills development in the country; an operational document from which the stakeholders can draw; an advocacy tool, for evidence based advocacy and lobbying; cornerstone of values and principles to guide the policy and programming of stakeholders; binding agreement to which all stakeholders can be accountable; and would also like to call upon other stakeholders, and leaders- former student and beyond to sincerely, fearlessly play critical part in the broader effort to redeem our higher education system and liberate the tertiary student. There needs to be a greater recognition on the part of policy makers of the growing importance of higher education for development in its broadest terms (that is, economic, environmental and social). Recognition of the increasing importance of higher education in the development of our country will lead to greater attention being paid to how higher education can and should be financed.
Frantic efforts are also underway to resolve the various internal national institutional challenges- most of which have been emanating from the unfortunate separation of political power and leadership responsibilities resulting in unfortunate false alertism and alarmism, misappropriation of resources, regrettable name calling and subjective personal attacks that lacked content and substance as far as addressing student issues is concerned, which should find no place in our progressive union and restore lasting sanity once and for all as we struggle for academic freedoms and the emancipation of the student of Zimbabwe. Let us not lose faith in our own institution and capacities.
It is not just that we can, but we will and we WILL.
On the 24th of November 2011, Hon T Biti, finance minister allocated close to 60million United States dollars for grants and student loans. 
He is playing cheap party politics with money that should benefit every student, politics aside. The grants were supposed to be available for access starting this January but the response from his ministry indicates that they might not be released anytime soon.
