No kidding around: Zimbabwe schools accept goats for tuition fees

As the burden of rising school fees increases on parents, Zimbabwe's education minister Lazarus Dokora has come up with a solution of his own.

The cash-strapped nation's education minister said that if the parents cannot pay their children's school fees they can offer livestock or work instead.

Dr Dokora said the schools needs to be flexible to ensure those who do not have money can pay fees in other ways.

"If there is a builder in the community, he/she must be given that opportunity to work as a form of payment of tuition fees," Dr Daokora reported as saying in the country's Sunday Mail.

"On the issue of livestock, the community has to arrange a market where everyone participates; from the school authorities, local leadership and parents themselves to avoid parents being duped," he added.

Education ministry's permanent secretary Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango added that school heads and a committee representing parents would jointly determine the value of the livestock.

"They can then use the money realised to upgrade school infrastructure or help with agriculture", Dr Utete-Masango said

The country is facing its worst economical crisis. Last year in December, Zimbabwe sold 35 elephants to China to raise money for conservation.

The 35 elephants were captured from Hwange National Park and flown to China's Shanghai Exhibition Park, Beijing Wildlife Park and Hangzhou Wildlife Park.

The move was widely criticised by the animal welfare activists who termed this deal as an unethical one. The government also has sought to sell its ivory stockpile for millions of dollars.

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