Telone is being accused of “double-dipping” after the Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education Dr. Slyvia Utete-Masango that the state-owned company was demanding payments from schools it provided internet services. The criticism stemmed from the fact that it was one of three recipients (TelOne, Zarnet, and E-solutions) of government grants for the service hence their service to schools should be free. The Herald reported that Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education said;
It is double dipping and we do not expect that. We have unveiled a $2 million grant where these three companies are benefiting. …..The money is meant for TelOne, Zarnet and E-solutions to connect internet services to schools.
I’m surprised that this issue is being taken lightly when double dipping is actually illicit. If Telone is really double-dipping, then the government should do something more than mere lashing out. If it was a private entity doing this, I’m sure it would have been penalized.
Zimbabwe is in its way to integrate E-learning in its educational system. But at the moment there is a lack of policies and initiatives, never mind the political will that supports e-learning. In 2012 it seemed like e-learning was about to take off but like most government initiatives, it lost momentum before it even spread to many schools
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She needs to check her facts before she start blowing hot air threats, she is not sure herself. What she needs to find out is when that money was paid, and was it actually transfered into TelOne registered account, not some minister’s account who have 20 cars packed at his house.
Until then, TelOne is a business that needs to pay uplink providers some real usd money to stay connected, and they are within their right to charge for the service rendered to schools. If the schools decide not to pay, then TelOne must disconnect them