it, and overseeing their progress at the college.

The girls have sent a series of messages to the Women's Coalition, a grouping of women's organisations in Zimbabwe, who are now investigating claims that the Minister has been abusing the girls for some years, and has threatened to withdraw them from the programme if they complain.

One girl student said: "The Minister was on one of his regular visits to South Africa to assess our welfare. He told me to accompany him back to his hotel as he wanted to give me some literature to distribute to the other students."

At the hotel, she said, she wanted to remain in the lobby, but Mushowe insisted she go with him to his room, saying he was tired. In the room she claims

he raped her, then gave her money to get back to campus.

Another girl claims that Mushowe took her to the Mimosa Hotel in East London, South Africa, and violated her. Afterwards, she says, he threatened her, and also gave her a mobile phone to buy her silence.

Subsequently he is alleged to have withdrawn this girl's boyfriend from the scholarship programme, when he began to complain about what was happening.