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(NEW ERA) Bursaries explained - by Catherine Sasman

Bursaries explained - by Catherine Sasman

WINDHOEK – Minister of Education, Nangolo Mbumba, said recent news reports suggesting that high-ranking Government officials have “snatched” Chinese bursaries for their children and relatives are false and misleading. Mbumba said there has never been undue influence or requests made by the parents or guardians for scholarships from embassies here in Namibia.

He said sponsoring countries through their embassies or High Commissions in Namibia also offer bursaries directly to individual citizens, and such scholarships are exclusively administered by the sponsoring countries.

He thus suggested that scholarships given to children or relatives of high-ranking Government officials were offered to them in such a manner, with no influence exerted by either the education ministry or by the parents or guardians of these beneficiaries.

“I do not have all the details of what happened, but these scholarships were handled by the Chinese [government] on its own,” said Mbumba at a press briefing organised to clarify misconceptions generated by the media surrounding the issuing of these Chinese scholarships.

“The children [of high-ranking officials] applied or the Chinese offered the bursaries to these kids who have their own identity; it is not ministers who are being sponsored by the Chinese government,” Mbumba maintained.

He could, however, not say how these children or relatives came to know about the existence of these scholarships.

A slew of reports followed after it came to light that no less than six beneficiaries on a list of 22 for the academic year 2009/2010 were children or relatives of high-ranking Government officials.

These officials include President Hifikepunye Pohamba, Deputy Minister of Lands and Resettlement Henock ya Kasita, Police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga, Minister of Defence Charles Namoloh and Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy Bernhard Esau. Relatives of the former first lady have similarly benefited from the Chinese bursaries.

The minister said President Pohamba’s daughter merely informed her parents that she had received a Chinese scholarship after she had “submitted application forms to study her preferred course in China” and had been informed after three months that she was successful in her application.

“Her parents were never involved at any stage. A study fund created by her parents for her benefit was used to meet the condition of her study in China. I wish to add that she also applied to other universities outside Namibia, including those in South Africa. The Chinese university offer or admission came first and therefore she accepted it,” said Mbumba.

The other 10 Chinese scholarships awarded through Namibia’s Ministry of Education, said Mbumba, were awarded in accordance with the Government’s study policy.

“It is therefore false to allege that income levels of parents were not taken into account when granting assistance to the applicants,” said the minister, adding that the applicants were chosen with considerations of the regions they hail from, quashing perceptions that the scholarships were only awarded to Oshi-wambo-speaking applicants.

Government has budgeted N$213 772 000 this financial year for assistance to students from low-income groups.

The exception, said Mbumba, is where parents are sponsoring other children even if their combined salary is more than N$150 000.

“Children from low-income families will continue to receive top priority in the granting of bursaries and scholarships as has been the case in the past,” maintained Mbumba.

The Namibian Students Financial Assistance Fund, which came into existence in 1997, is financing 6 000 students this year.

Over the years, it has assisted 35 000 students studying at tertiary institutions in Namibia and abroad.
Scholarships offered to Namibians since 1997 by friendly countries amount to 473. These include 25 from Algeria, 10 from China, one from Croatia, 15 from Cuba, two from the Czech Republic, 16 from Russia, and one from Slovakia.

China has offered 40 bursaries over the last three years, which were awarded in accordance with the Namibian Government’s education policy, said Mbumba.

Labels: CHINA, CORRUPTION, NAMIBIA

posted by MrK @ 5:51 AM