This
proposal
comes
amid
persistent
delays
in
BEAM
payments
to
schools
and
the
Zimbabwe
Schools
Examination
Council
(ZIMSEC),
which
have
disrupted
learning
and
examinations
for
thousands
of
vulnerable
pupils
across
the
country.
Currently,
the
Treasury
releases
BEAM
funds
to
the
Ministry
of
Public
Service,
Labour
and
Social
Welfare
as
part
of
its
social
services
budget,
which
then
transfers
funds
to
the
Ministry
of
Primary
and
Secondary
Education,
that
disburses
them
to
schools.
However,
this
multi-step
process
has
resulted
in
chronic
delays,
leaving
schools
without
fees
for
BEAM-supported
learners
and
exposing
marginalised
children
to
exclusion
from
education.
Director
of
Communications
and
Advocacy
in
the
Ministry
of
Primary
and
Secondary
Education,
Taungana
Ndoro,
confirmed
that
discussions
are
underway
to
restructure
the
flow
of
BEAM
funding.
“The
issue
of
BEAM
is
that
the
budget
line
item
rests
in
the
Ministry
of
Public
Service,
Labour
and
Social
Welfare
as
a
social
services
fund
in
that
ministry,”
Ndoro
said.
“We
actually
have
to
wait
for
that
money
to
come
from
the
Ministry
of
Public
Service,
Labour
and
Social
Welfare
to
come
to
us
and
then
we
disburse
to
our
schools.
What
we
only
do
with
BEAM
funds
is
receive
the
money
and
send
it
to
the
schools.”
Ndoro
said
failure
to
receive
funds
means
the
ministry
is
unable
to
pay
schools.
“If
we
have
not
received
it,
we
can’t
send
it
to
the
school,”
he
said.
While
this
proposal
is
under
consideration,
Ndoro
said
the
government
has
set
up
a
tripartite
committee
comprising
the
Deputy
Ministers
of
Finance,
Public
Service
and
Education
to
address
the
bottlenecks.
“So
now
there’s
a
tripartite
team
committee
that
has
been
set
up,
who
are
now
discussing
to
say,
‘Treasury,
could
you
release
the
BEAM
funds?
The
BEAM
funds
go
to
the
Public
Service
Ministry
and
then
the
Public
Service
Ministry
sends
it
to
us,’”
Ndoro
said.
“There
are
negotiations
around
that
as
I
am
speaking.”
BEAM
was
established
to
support
underprivileged
children
to
access
education
by
paying
school
fees
and
examination
costs.
However,
the
programme
has
struggled
in
recent
years,
defaulting
on
payments
to
schools
and
ZIMSEC,
raising
fears
that
learners
from
poor
households
could
be
barred
from
classes
or
examinations.
At
the
end
of
2024,
the
government
owed
US$98
million
to
BEAM
and
US$50
million
to
ZIMSEC.
Parents
and
education
stakeholders
have
raised
alarm
over
the
impact
of
the
funding
gaps,
especially
for
learners
sitting
for
national
examinations.
Concerns
have
also
been
raised
over
reports
suggesting
BEAM
funds
may
have
been
diverted.
“In
February
2025,
there
were
news
reports
that
sometime
in
August
2024,
funds
for
BEAM
were
diverted
towards
the
building
of
infrastructure
during
the
country’s
SADC
chairmanship
era,”
one
parent
said,
noting
how
such
reports
were
disputed
by
state-controlled
media.
“Then
in
December
last
year,
we
saw
a
headline
saying
‘BEAM
Under
Scrutiny
as
Cabinet
Moves
to
Probe
Abuse
of
Education
Funds.’”
The
parent
questioned
whether
this
meant
BEAM
resources
had
been
redirected
away
from
learners.
“The
question
is,
does
that
therefore
mean
that
BEAM
funds
could
have
been
diverted
to
the
SADC
infrastructure,
and
what
does
that
mean
to
the
children?”
the
parent
said.
“If
BEAM
funds
are
under
scrutiny
or
said
to
have
been
abused,
what
is
the
ministry
saying?
Because
we
are
looking
at
beneficiaries
not
being
able
to
partake
in
education.”
Ndoro
said
the
education
ministry
does
not
control
BEAM
funds
until
they
are
transferred
from
Public
Service.
“We
wait
to
receive
that
money
from
the
Ministry
of
Public
Service.
This
is
why
there’s
always
this
glitch,”
he
said.
He
added
that
while
negotiations
continue,
the
ministry
expects
some
funding
to
be
released
this
year.
“We
should
be
able
to
receive
some
BEAM
funds
for
this
year,
whilst
the
issues
of
the
previous
outstanding
amount
are
being
handled,”
Ndoro
said.
However,
he
said
the
long-term
solution
lies
in
restructuring
the
programme.
“But
the
bigger
proposal
that
is
coming
up
in
terms
of
BEAM
is
why
does
the
Treasury
not
remove
that
line
item
from
the
Ministry
of
Public
Service
and
put
it
straight
into
the
Ministry
of
Education?”
he
said.
“So
if
that
happens,
we’re
able
to
then
disburse
this
quickly.”
Ndoro
suggested
competing
priorities
within
the
Ministry
of
Public
Service
may
be
contributing
to
the
delays.
“Remember,
the
Ministry
of
Public
Service
has
their
own
budget,
and
if
BEAM
funds
come
for
them,
they
may
be
saying
maybe
we
may
do
virement
later,
and
so
on
and
so
forth.
We
don’t
know,”
he
said.
Meanwhile,
the
ministry
says
it
is
reviewing
concerns
around
alleged
favouritism
and
political
interference
in
the
selection
of
BEAM
beneficiaries.
“There
are
concerns
that
some
children
qualify
due
to
favouritism,
political
affiliation,
as
freebies
of
being
close
to
political
persons,”
Ndoro
said.
“We
are
going
to
be
reviewing
that
very,
very
seriously.”
He
said
future
beneficiaries
would
be
prioritised
based
on
vulnerability.
“Those
that
are
going
to
benefit
from
BEAM
are
mainly
going
to
be
orphans
and
vulnerable
children,”
Ndoro
said.
“An
orphan
meaning
you
don’t
have
both
parents.
Those
are
the
ones
who
will
be
considered
first.
Then
those
who
have
one
parent.”
Ndoro
said
children
with
both
parents,
including
those
whose
parents
are
working
outside
the
country,
would
face
stricter
scrutiny.
“Those
children
with
both
parents,
even
if
they
are
in
South
Africa,
it’s
going
to
be
very
difficult,”
he
said.
“So
the
list
could
be
a
little
bit
leaner.
We
are
working
on
that
one.”