WATCH: Minister Urges Junior MPs to Expose Schools Rejecting ZiG Fee Payments
Education Minister Torerai Moyo has urged Junior Parliamentarians to expose schools refusing to accept fees in Zimbabwe’s new local currency, the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), warning that such schools will face consequences.
Minister Urges Junior MPs to Report Schools Rejecting ZiG Fees
Speaking at the 33rd Session of the Junior Parliament, Moyo reminded the young lawmakers that Zimbabwe operates a multi-currency system, meaning both the ZiG and US dollars are legal for school fee payments. He said schools turning away parents who want to pay in ZiG are violating national policy.
Moyo encouraged students to report such schools by name so the government can take action.
“Tiriku operator inonzi a multi-currency system. Mwana anobhadharirwa ne US dollar ngavatore US dollar. Vanouya neZiG, ndomari yedu yenyika saka ivava vanoramba mari yenyika ivava ndovatinoda kuti tinzwe. Dai zvaibvira imimi ma MP mapinda tipei mazita ezvikoro izvozvo zvirikurambira vanhu kuti vasabhadhara ma school fees or ma levies titore mutemo uite basa,” Moyo said.
The Minister’s comments came after growing reports that some schools were demanding USD-only payments or applying their own exchange rates, a practice the government says is illegal.
Watch the video below:
Hon. Torerai Moyo calls on Junior Parliamentarians to report schools refusing to accept local currency #ZiG fee payments, assuring that such institutions would face consequences for their actions.#DayoftheAfricanChild pic.twitter.com/HHYGJGKWU8
— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) June 20, 2025
Ministry Reiterates ZiG Must Be Accepted
This isn’t the first time the Education Ministry has spoken out on the issue. Ahead of the second school term, the Ministry issued a firm reminder that schools are required to accept fee payments in ZiG and must use the official interbank rate for all currency conversions.
The Ministry said parents have the right to pay in either ZiG or USD, and no school should demand USD payments only.
In its statement, the Ministry said:
“Parents/guardians may pay fees in any currency of choice (ZIG, USD, etc.). Schools must not demand exclusive USD payments, and non-compliance will result in disciplinary action.”
It also quoted the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s March 12 directive, which clarified that only the interbank exchange rate is legally acceptable for pricing, and that schools have no authority to set their own.
“The exchange rate that is determined in the foreign exchange market by banks is the one that should be used to guide the pricing of all other goods and services in the economy. Therefore, no other business entity (schools included) outside the interbank market should determine the exchange rate.”
The Ministry warned that any school caught breaching these rules would be reported to monetary regulators and held accountable.
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The post WATCH: Minister Urges Junior MPs to Expose Schools Rejecting ZiG Fee Payments appeared first on iHarare News.
