Zimbabwe: Hundreds of Women March, Demand Free Education

África/Zimbabwe/02 de Septiembre de 2016/Fuente: All Africa

RESUMEN: Cientos de mujeres marcharon el jueves en el complejo gubernamental en Bulawayo y exigieron el raspado de las cotizaciones en las escuelas públicas diciendo que el gobierno estaba comprando más gases lacrimógenos en lugar de financiar la educación.«Estamos hartos de este sistema de educación; queremos enviar una declaración audaz de gobierno que ya es suficiente. «También queremos anunciar que vamos a ser dejar de pagar tasas y gravámenes para nuestros hijos hasta que el Gobierno respeta el derecho a la educación contenidas en los instrumentos locales, regionales e internacionales». Zimbabwe es signatario de la Declaración de Dakar sobre Educación para Todos que dice Estados deben reservar el 20 por ciento de su presupuesto nacional para financiar la educación. En el presupuesto nacional de 2016 $ 4 mil millones, el sector de la educación se destinó $ 810 millones. Mientras que el sistema educativo de Zimbabwe sigue siendo una envidia de muchos otros países africanos, ha sufrido muchos años de abandono con la infraestructura, especialmente en las zonas rurales, en un estado deplorable. Los manifestantes que cantaron y bailaron, atrayendo mucha atención, muestran pancartas, criticando la postura del gobierno en el sistema de educación pública.

HUNDREDS of women on Thursday marched to the government complex in Bulawayo and demanded the scraping of levies in public schools saying government was buying more teargas instead of financing education.

Led by firebrand leader, Jeni Wiilans, members of the Women of Zimbabwe Arise marchers called on government to implement their demands when schools open for the third term next month.

The demonstration started off at the open space opposite the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds and went through the busy central business district and ended up at the Mhlahlandlela Government Office where a petition was delivered.

The complex houses the office of Minister of State for Bulawayo, Eunice Moyo, who is the highest ranking government official in the metropolitan province.

Curiously, there were no police details in sight as the marchers made their way to the government offices.

Only a few anti-riot police officers waited for the marchers at the entrance of the government offices, where they blocked the protesters from gaining access to the complex to deliver their petition to the resident minister.

The marchers who sang and danced, attracting a lot of attention, displayed placards, castigating government’s stance on the public education system.

In an interview with journalists, Williams urged government to scrap levies in all the state administered schools.

«We are fed up with this education system; we want to send a bold declaration to government that enough is enough.

«We also want to announce that we will be stop paying fees and levies for our children until the government respects the right to education as contained in local, regional and international instruments,» said Williams. She said no one was arrested during the march.

Zimbabwe is a signatory to the Dakar Declaration on Education for all which says states must set aside 20 percent of its national budget to finance education.

In the 2016 $4bn national budget, the education sector was allocated $810 million.

While Zimbabwe’s education system is still an envy of many other African countries, it has suffered many years of neglect with infrastructure, especially in the rural areas, in a deplorable state.

Fuente: http://allafrica.com/stories/201608200172.html

Fuente de la imagen: http://www.voanews.com/a/zimbabwe-women-march-demand-free-education/3471077.html