Zimbabwe now accept livestocks or labour as payment for school fees

Zimbabwe has agreed to the use of livestock or labour as a form of payment for school fees by parents.

The Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr
Lazarus Dokora said this over the weekend that all school authorities should be flexible and not turn away pupils just because their parents and guardians can't afford to pay tuition fees.

“Our schools have to be a little flexible and ensure that those who cannot afford to pay fees can work as a substitute. For instance, if there is a builder or carpenter in the community, he/she must be given that opportunity to work as a form of payment of tuition fees for his/her children in the school,” he  said this to local newspaper "Sunday Mail".

This was further explained by the Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango who was also quoted by the "Sunday Mail" newspaper as saying, payment using livestock is only reserved for rural communities while those in towns and big cities can pay by working for the school.

This option raised different views from most parents while the Teachers’ Association called for  the policy to be revised.

“I do not think that it is sustainable with regards to parents in urban areas,  so many parents have outstanding debts which they need to settle. So I am just trying to imagine those 1000 and above parents coming to work at the school … Why should we spend this time doing manual labour at a school when they can actually go there to look for a good job?” Mr John Mlilo was quoted saying this. He is Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association secretary-general .

This current development follows the recent tabling of a bill into parliament to direct commercial banks in the country to accept livestock as collateral for cash loans to informal businesses to support small scale businesses.

This Movable Property Security Interests bill in Zimbabwe, if passed, will allow livestock and household appliances to be offered and accepted as collateral to access funds from banks after evaluation and registration by the central bank.

Cash shortages hit the country last year after the government threatened to grab all foreign companies that are operating in the country under the Indigenisation and Empowerment Law of the country.

All Banks in the country were forced to reduce withdrawal bank limits for their customers to as little as US$40 per day per each individual.

This policy led to hundreds of businessmen and women sleeping outside banks daily to get the much needed cash to run their businesses.

Civilians and other Africans took to Twitter to express their opinions about this development in Zimbabwe.