Cotton farmers’ children stranded

The cotton farmers have since petitioned Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart, for their children to be allowed to register and arrange for them to pay later.
The farmers argued that they had no other sources of income as they solely relied on farm­ing.

Cotton farmers have this year failed to sell their crop because of a price impasse between growers and merchants.
Government has since declared cotton a controlled product, becoming the sole buyer of the crop.

However, Government is yet to start buy­ing the crop and no new prices have been fixed.
The cotton farmers now want Government to intervene by allowing their children to reg­ister and pay after Government starts paying them.
Zimsec has closed registration for all exami­nations set for this year.

Minister Coltart yesterday expressed con­cern over the children’s plight but said it was too late to do anything for them.
“I am also touched by their plight but I am afraid it is too late to do anything because the examination body has processes that it fol­lows.
“Since they have come to my office, I will see how best to help them because no parent would want to educate his or her child to that level and at the end of the day the child does not write,” he said.

Zimsec public relations manager, Mr Ezekiel Pasipamire, said they had given can­didates “ample time” to register.
He said the examinations body had started processing candidates’ entry forms.

“We had set a deadline and we extended it to ensure that everyone registers. It is unfor­tunate that some have failed and there is nothing we can do as we also have targets to meet,” he said.

Advanced Level examination fees were US$24 per subject, while O Level candidates paid US$12 per subject.
O Level candidates normally write a mini­mum of eight subjects.
The farmers said Government should allow their children to sit for the examina­tions.

“Our children are stranded and imagine that all the efforts we had put in the last years are just going down the drain like that.
“There is nowhere we can get the money unless we sell our cotton. We are appealing to the Minister (Coltart) to make special arrange­ments with Zimsec and ensure our children write the examinations and we will pay later,” said Mr Moses Mutekwa from Gokwe.

Another farmer, Mr Roy Mabhugu, said par­ents were struggling to pay tuition and levies, let alone exam fees.
Cotton Producers and Marketers Associa­tion of Zimbabwe vice chairmen, Mr Morris Mukwe, said the price impasse had left the farmers in the “cold”.
“The situation is terrible and has affected the children mostly. Most farmers do not have alternatives except waiting for the money from the crop.

“In the past years we had an impasse but reached an agreement at the end of the day in time for our children to register,” he said.
He expressed optimism that a solution will be found this week following the intervention of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made. Cotton merchants are offering between US$0,36 and US$0,50 for a kilogramme while farmers are demanding between US$0,85 and US$1,20 per kg.

Ginners argue that lint prices have fallen on the international market owing to the low uptake of last season’s stocks. Some disap­pointed farmers are contemplating abandon­ing the crop due to poor prices.