James Maridadi the MDC-T MP for Mabvuku/Tafara has criticised the administration of the Presidential Scholarship Programme saying that it was only benefiting the children of connected people. He lamented the fact that talent kids, who were not benefiting were losing out to less talented children whose parents are connected politically. Speaking at a Katswe Sisterhood organized event, Maridadi said:
The Presidential scholarship is preferring children of permanent secretaries of government ministries and those of the ministries’ department directors leaving out ours in Mabvuku who were orphaned by AIDS and who have passed.
We have such children with 11 points at Advanced Level who could not be absorbed by the University of Zimbabwe to do medicine but permanent secretaries’ who have as low as 4 points at are going to South Africa to do medicine simply because their parents know Chris Mushowe who administers the Presidential scholarship scheme.
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