Over 532,000 students could miss their Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) exams this year due to the government’s failure to pay exam fees under the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM).
On Thursday, September 19, Public Service Labour and Social Welfare Minister, July Moyo, informed Parliament that the government owes ZIMSEC US$6.4 million in outstanding fees for 2023 and 2024. Moyo warned that ZIMSEC may bar BEAM beneficiaries from taking their exams if the debt remains unpaid.
Moyo stated:
“US$6.4 million is owed to ZIMSEC for 532,963 Grade 7, Form 4, and Form 6 students. If a promissory note isn’t provided, some students will be prevented from sitting for their exams.”
While BEAM was included in this year’s national budget, no disbursements have been made, with partial payments from 2023 covering only ZW$19.9 billion for primary students. However, no secondary school payments were made, and schools that billed in U.S. dollars remain unpaid.
BEAM is a government program that helps vulnerable children, including orphans and those from low-income families, to access education by covering their school fees, uniforms, and other expenses.
In other news, Zimbabwe has received a donation of 1,000 metric tonnes of mealie meal from Rwanda as the country grapples with the effect of a drought caused by El Niño.
This drought has left half of Zimbabwe’s population, which is over 15 million people, facing food insecurity during the 2024-2025 season.
Rwanda’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, James Musoni, handed over the donation to Zimbabwe’s Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, at the Grain Marketing Board’s Aspindale Depot in Harare on Thursday, September 19.
This is the second donation Zimbabwe has received from Rwanda in 2024.
During the presentation, Musoni said that when President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a nationwide state of disaster in April, President Paul Kagame responded out of a spirit of “ubuntu.” Said Musoni:
In the spirit of ‘ubuntu’, his counterpart and brother His Excellency, Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda heard it and immediately responded to the call by dispatching a consignment of 1000 metric tons of maize to Zimbabwe.
Africanism and Rwanda’s culture specifically, call us to stand in solidarity with each other during difficult times. In the same spirit, Rwanda and Zimbabwe have been supporting each other.
Musoni said that in 2019, Rwanda supported Zimbabwe during Cyclone Idai, and in 2023, Zimbabwe returned the favour by assisting Rwanda after heavy rains led to flooding and landslides that resulted in over 130 deaths and significant damage to infrastructure.
