Africa-Press – Zambia. President Hakainde Hichilema’s use of DCs to handle taxpayers funded Student Loans is Illegal and abuse of his authority We wish to advise the President to follow the law and not to be in the forefront perpertuating lawlessness in the country. It is lawlessness and abuse of authority for him to instruct District Commissioners (DCs) to be handling Higher Education scholarship applications.
That is the job of the Higher Education Loan’s and Scholarships Board (HELBS) according to the Zambian Law. The Higher Education Loans and Scholarships Act [No. 31 of 2016 sec (5)(1)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g) provides for the legal framework and policy as follows:
5. (1) The functions of the Board are to—
(a) receive and consider loan and scholarship applications from students for the award of loans and scholarships; (b) administer loans and scholarships for students;
(c) determine the criteria and terms for the grant of loans and scholarships, and the rate of interest and recovery ofloans;
(d) establish systems to secure the repayment of loans bystudents and the efficient utilisation and application of
scholarships; (e) monitor and evaluate the operations and performance ofthe Fund and ensure accountability of the Fund by determining appropriate procedures for its management;
(f) formulate policies and guidelines for the control andmanagement of monies for loans and scholarships andensure their implementation;
(g) formulate policies to determine—
(i) the terms of disbursement of money from theFund to students granted loans or scholarships by the Board;
(ii) the maximum amount of money to be granted bythe Fund to students granted loans orscholarships by the Board; and
(iii) the sectors of the economy in which the moniesof the Fund may be invested;(h) establish structures and guidelines to ensure fairness inthe disbursement and application of the Fund;
(i) advise the Minister on policy matters concerning provisionof scholarships and recovery of loans from loanbeneficiaries.
We advise the head of State to do the right thing by upholding the rule of law. DCs are politicians who have no legal place in handling taxpayers money on behalf of the Minister of Education or government in general. Wherever we want to go our feet shall take us there.
For More News And Analysis About Zambia Follow Africa-Press
