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Marange Resources falters on school fees pledge

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THE Chiadzwa Community Development Trust (CCDT) has accused diamond miner Marange Resources of reneging on its pledge to provide school fees

THE Chiadzwa Community Development Trust (CCDT) has accused diamond miner Marange Resources of reneging on its pledge to provide school fees for scores of underprivileged pupils at 16 schools in the Marange area. By OBEY MANAYITI STAFF REPORTER

The trust claimed that the diamond-mining firm had pledged to provide school fees assistance as part of its corporate social responsibility after it started mining activities in the area over four years ago.

CCDT said the affected pupils had missed lessons since the beginning of the term as they were constantly sent home over the arrears.

However, top officials at Marange Resources could not be reached for comment yesterday as they were reportedly out of the country.

“Parents in Marange are not pleased with Marange Resources’ failure to honour its pledge of paying fees for children in the areas. Marange Resources had been for the past four years paying fees for orphans and vulnerable children in the area,” CCDT programmes co-ordinator Melanie Chiponda said.

“This term, schools in Marange sent away all the children who were benefitting from Marange Resources fees scheme to go and collect fees for three terms.”

According to CCDT some of the schools where Marange Resources was assisting disadvantaged pupils included Mukwada Primary and Secondary, Betera Primary, Kurauone Primary and Secondary, Chikara Primary, Chiadzwa Primary and Secondary, Tonhorai Primary, Kusena Primary, Banda Primary, Chibiya Primary, Chipindirwe Primary, Gandauta Primary, Chishingwi and Gonora primary schools.

Chiponda added: “The withdrawal of this assistance comes at a time when the Basic Assistance Education Module has also reduced the number of beneficiaries.

“The decision to withdraw assistance by Marange Resources was done without notification and parents are stuck with fees arrears.”

“The community of Marange is living in extreme poverty barely affording a proper meal a day that the hopes for their children to get an education and have a future have been shattered.

“This is especially for the child-headed families, the female-headed families and grandparent-headed families,” he said.