Zimbabwean students sponsored under President Robert Mugabe scholarship fund to attend universities in neighboring South Africa have been banned from engaging in political activism.

Students who left the country to take up studies at various South African universities recently, were made to sign signed an agreement committing themselves to stay away from engaging in any political activism of any sort.

Radio VOP has seen a bonding agreement for the Presidential Scholarship Agreement which was signed by students and the Presidential Scholarship Department headed by Manicaland provincial Governor Chris Mushohwe.

“This shall constitute a ground for the withdrawal of the scholarship. The said withdrawal of the scholarship shall result in the student reimbursing the full amount the GOZ would have spent on him or her, during the course of study,” reads part of the bonding agreement.

Falling pregnant or impregnating someone before completion of studies will result in withdrawal of scholarships and students will be ordered to surrender their study permits.

On completion of their studies, students are bonded for a period of not less than three years.

Under Mugabe’s scholarship scheme, young people are sent to study at universities mainly in South Africa such as Fort Hare.

However, the programme has been criticised by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change which says it only benefit children whose families are aligned to Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) party.