Tinotenda Hove- Children of teachers, school heads and politicians have been among the beneficiaries of the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM), a government programme designed to help disadvantaged learners, preliminary audit findings have revealed.

A source in the Finance Ministry revealed this week that an ongoing audit had uncovered widespread problems with beneficiary selection, particularly in urban schools, where people who may not meet the programme’s eligibility requirements were reportedly receiving assistance.

The findings raise questions about the management of public funds earmarked for vulnerable children, with concerns that some beneficiaries may have accessed assistance despite not qualifying for support.

The revelations come as Zimbabwe faces scrutiny over its failure to meet protected social and priority spending targets under the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) 10-month Staff-Monitored Programme (SMP).

The IMF recently approved the programme’s second review, highlighting shortcomings in the government’s spending commitments. The temporary suspension of BEAM funding while the audit is conducted has contributed to the shortfall.

The Finance Ministry source said the investigation had exposed irregularities that were more extensive than initially anticipated, putting the administration of the education assistance scheme under renewed scrutiny.

The inclusion of children from families that may not qualify for assistance has raised concerns about whether the programme’s resources are reaching learners from households struggling to pay school fees and meet other essential educational costs.

BEAM was established to help disadvantaged children remain in school by providing assistance with fees and other approved educational expenses. Any failure to properly identify eligible beneficiaries risks undermining the programme’s central purpose.

The audit is also expected to bring attention to the systems used to assess applications, verify household circumstances and ensure that assistance is not awarded to people who fall outside the eligibility criteria.

Meanwhile, the government has released ZiG400 million to support vulnerable learners in remote and rural communities, as well as children attending special schools catering for learners with physical and intellectual disabilities.

The funding is intended to sustain assistance for some of the country’s most vulnerable pupils as the review of BEAM beneficiaries continues.

However, questions remain over how many ineligible beneficiaries may have received support, how long the alleged irregularities persisted and whether those found to have improperly benefited from the programme will face any consequences.

The audit is ongoing, and the full extent of the alleged beneficiary irregularities has not yet been made public.