Financial Gazette
2 December 2010
A 15 million Euro tranche recently approved by the Germany government to finance the recovery of Zimbabwe’s education sector has been stuck in Berlin since October after a key Germany ally rejected the release of the money though the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef). The Financial Gazette yesterday saw a letter from the Germany government notifying Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, David Coltart of the approval.
The letter said the money would be channelled through Unicef and would be accessed by among other institutions, a new trust working with the coalition government to improve education in Zimbabwe, called Teach Zimbabwe.
Teach Zimbabwe has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Education Ministry to establish academies of excellence through scholarships for disadvantaged but talented students, and the rehabilitation of schools, among other programmes.
But The Financial Gazette understands that the release of the money has been delayed by infighting among key Unicef funders who are divided over Zimbabwe’s diplomatic relations with the European Union.
Coltart was not available for comment yesterday.
But sources in his ministry confirmed the development.
“The German government has allocated a certain amount through Unicef, part of that money would be given to Teach Zimbabwe for its Zimbabwe Talented but Disadvantaged Children Education Programme,†a source said.
“But there has been a push to block the release of the funds because donors are cracking, they are fighting over the Zimbabwean issue,†he added.
About 4 000 students were expected to benefit during the first phase of the programme next year when five to eight million Euros were expected to be channelled into 20 schools.
Teach Zimbabwe founder, Kojo Paris refused to answer questions from The Financial Gazette yesterday, saying the issues were best handled by the ministry.
Teach Zimbabwe will be officially launched in Harare today.