By Robert Tapfumaneyi
COVID-19 has hit sex workers at Dema growth point hard to the extent they were now accepting buckets of maize and cups of beans as payment from their also cash-strapped male clients.
The sex workers said the ‘barter trade’ had also created problems for their clients as the men usually steal the ‘payment’ from family granaries.
The female sex workers’ plight has also been worsened as nightclubs and bars remain closed due to strict Covid-19 national lockdown restrictions.
Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com at Dema growth point in Seke rural, some 40km south-east of Harare, sex workers appealed to the government and other organisations for low-interest loans to start income-generating projects to fend for their starving families as opposed to relying on prostitution.
By Stephen Tsamba
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Friday hailed Treasury for financial support towards the successful running of Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) public examinations.
In a press statement, Minister Cain Mathema thanked President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the finance ministry, parents and guardians for their financial support towards the holding of the 2020 ZIMSEC examinations.
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education would like to acknowledge with appreciation His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and parents/guardians for the financial support which enabled the smooth administration of ZIMSEC public examinations in 2020,” said the minister.
By Stephen Tsamba
THE Education Ministry has attributed the 6.8% pass rate decline in Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) Ordinary Level results to the devastating effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Spokesperson in the ministry, Taungana Ndoro told NewZimbabwe.com Wednesday the pandemic induced lockdown had seen a significant decline in the Ordinary Level pass rate due to reduced face-to-face teaching.
Schools were forced to introduce on-line teaching, but this was not practical in some schools especially government learning centres due to the unavailability of ICT gadgets, learning material, and high data costs.
“It is the Covid-19 pandemic which has caused the gap because it forced a lockdown which forced schools to close and, therefore, there was limited face-to-face teaching,” he said.
Schools not allowed to withhold exam results
Herald Reporter
Schools are forbidden from withholding examination results for students whose parents still owe fees and must instead take action against the parents to recover debts, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Ambassador Cain Mathema said last night.
This week, the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council released O’ Level results, and some candidates have been blocked from getting their results, which they need immediately to secure A’ Level places.
Minister Mathema wants the debt recovery process to be strictly between schools and parents, without involving the children.
The children were not part of the agreements entered between schools and their parents, hence they should never be disadvantaged.
The Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) has released results for November 2020 Advance level examinations.
According to ZIMSEC board chair, Mr Eddie Mwenje, school heads can start collecting results from their regional offices on Friday the 23rd of April 2021.
Students can also access their results online on the ZIMSEC portal and the portal will be open for five days only, on www.zimsec.co.zw
“It is important to remind the nation that the delays in the writing, marking, publication were as a result of mitigation measures put in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus,” said Professor Mwenje.
“The total number of candidates who sat for the Nov 2020 examinations was 50 287, compares to 51 862 in 2019, this entry decreased by 3 per cent.