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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
THE Presidential Scholarship Programme is going to be scaled down as the government seeks to invest more resources in setting up vocational training centres in all the country’s 10 provinces, Acting President, Emmerson Mnangagwa said yesterday.

He said this while addressing thousands of Zanu-PF supporters at a campaign rally held at Chiwodza Primary School, Mvuma for Cde Auxilia Mnangagwa, the party candidate for the Chirumanzu-Zibagwe National Assembly by-election on March 27.

He said the country now had many universities which could absorb more students unlike in the past when President Mugabe initiated the scholarship programme.

Cde Mnangagwa said over 5,000 students graduated through funding from the Presidential Scholarship programme since the programme was launched.

“The government is going to start reducing the number of students to be funded under the Presidential Scholarship Programme. So far over 5,000 students have graduated under the programme. Now we have over 10 universities in the country and they can enrol many students. The government will now channel resources towards setting up more vocational training centres across the country with an emphasis of skills development. That way we will also churn out more students with skills that will help develop the country.”

Acting President Mnangagwa said in the past the country had few universities which enrolled students with 12 Advanced Level points and above leaving out those with fewer points due to space constraints.

Following the launch of the Presidential scholarship, students from poor backgrounds were initially enrolled at Fort Hare University where President Mugabe did his first degree.

Later, students were enrolled to study medicine at Rhodes University, also in South Africa.

The Acting President reiterated the government’s position for schools not to send home pupils who fail to pay fees.

He said President Mugabe had instructed schools to deal with parents or approach the government instead of sending pupils away.

“President Mugabe wants everybody to have access to education. Our children should go to school and there is no teacher who is allowed to send a child away for non payment of school fees. If there is any problem in terms of school fees, the schools should approach the government. That is what President Mugabe wants,” he said.

Turning to the looming drought, Acting President Mnangagwa said the government had started sourcing funds for drought relief to avert food shortages.

He said people will not starve.

“Minister of Finance, Patrick Chinamasa has been tasked to look for funds to buy grain for our people in areas that might be affected by drought. At the moment the government has turned to the Strategic Grain Reserves but the grain in there is not enough to feed the anticipated number of people facing starvation as a result of failed rains.

“No one will die of hunger and we call upon councillors, district administrators, provincial administrators to work with their Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs so that the government is made aware of the people or areas in need of food assistance,” he said.

Turning to the Mt Darwin and Chirumanzu-Zibagwe by-elections, Cde Mnangagwa said Zanu-PF has intensified campaigns in a bid to retain the two seats on March 27.

He said last Friday, Vice President Phekezela Mphoko was in Mt Darwin constituency to canvas support for the revolutionary party’s candidate.

“These two seats fell vacant after I was elevated to the position of Vice-President by President Mugabe while the Mt Darwin seat fell vacant after the former VP, Joice Mujuru, was elevated to the position which she later left unceremoniously. So we want to retain these two seats and we don’t want to give the opposition any chance.

“We should come out in our numbers on 27 March and vote for the ruling party. It is the only party with a rich history of the liberation struggle. Our brothers and sisters died during the struggle and they should be honoured by triumphing in the forthcoming by-elections,” said Cde Mnangagwa.

He urged voters to revisit the spirit of the 2013 harmonised elections that gave Zanu-PF a record victory and cast their votes in a peaceful manner.

Zanu-PF Midlands Political Commissar, Cde Makhosini Hlongwane, said the party’s preferred candidate for Chirumanzu-Zibagwe constituency was going to win the by election since she was a hard worker.

He said to date, Cde Auxillia Mnangagwa had provided water for many people in the constituency by drilling 10 new boreholes to complement the existing 53.

Cde Hlongwane also said Cde Auxillia Mnangagwa donated 30 tonnes of fertiliser to 15 wards in the constituency.

“We are proud to have her as our candidate. Cde Mnangagwa has shown a lot of energy in her working for this constituency.

Several roads have now been rehabilitated through her initiative. Transport operators are happy that roads such as the Kwekwe-Mvuma road are now passable,” he said.