Anti-riot Police Stop Students Fees Protests At The University Of Zimbabwe
Anti-riot police Monday stopped hundreds of students from demonstrating at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) on Monday over the recently announced hike in tuition fees of up to $500 000.
According to the new fee structure, undergraduate students are required to pay anything between $300 000 to $500 000 depending on their faculty which students described as unaffordable and beyond the reach of their parents and guardians.
The students were chased into New Complex 1, an all-girls hostel, leaving the female students traumatised, considering that most of them seemed unaware of what was going on, according to NewsDay Zimbabwe.
Most affected were first-year students staying on the ground floor of the hostel.
The students resolved to boycott lectures until the fees are reviewed, but riot police invaded the UZ campus to drive the students out of hostels.
Speaking to NewsDay, Students Representative Council president Allan Chipoyi said they were riled by the fee hike that has come amid dire economic challenges. He said:
Inasmuch as we pursue dialogue today with the administration, no student should go to lectures until the institution has resolved to go back to the fees that we were paying last semester.
Some students who requested not to be named argued that the institution was going against the government on price increases.
Meanwhile, the higher learning institution yesterday held meetings with the Students Representative Council and was scheduled to hold more meetings on Tuesday to find common ground.
