THE broke government has not yet paid second term tuition fees for war veterans’ children, amid reports that some of the pupils were being turned away from school over outstanding bills.
BY KHANYILE MLOTSHWA
War Veterans’ minister Tshinga Dube, confirmed the development yesterday.
“We are doing everything to pay that money,” he said.
“There are no questions about us failing to pay that money. We have been persuading schools, for a long time, not to chase away the children because we will pay that money.
“The Ministry of Finance first gave us $6 million, and then gave us another $6 million, but when I went to the Accountant General, he did not have the actual money to deposit into our (Ministry of War Veterans) account. At the end, we will pay that money. It has been budgeted.”
But, war veterans, who spoke to Southern Eye on condition of anonymity, said the delays were traumatising their children, as they were being turned away from school.
“We are worried because the government only paid school fees for a few people and our children are now stranded and can’t go to school,” one parent said.
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Another war veteran said the problem of outstanding fees only resurfaced after the expulsion of Christopher Mutsvangwa as War Veterans’ minister.
“Mutsvangwa made strides in ensuring that the fees for war veterans’ children were paid and not half the number, as what we are seeing now,” he said.
Addressing Parliament recently, Dube said the government had only paid for half of the 14 000 applicants for the second term fees.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, has insisted that schools should not chase away children over unpaid fees.
