Students to protest massive fee increases

MARGIN: 0in 0in 6pt”>BULAWAYO – In a shocking move the University of Zimbabwe has announced an astronomical hike in tuition fees for students from between $6 and $9 million per year to between $30 and $90 million.

Students have vowed to protest the hikes, which came as a huge shock as they were preparing to return this week.  The opening has now been postponed to February 27.

The National Co-ordinating Committee (NCC) of students, headed by Mfundo Mlilo of UZ, leaves Harare this week for a national consultative exercise.

“We will resist these increases from all angles,” declared Mlilo. “The NCC is calling for class boycotts nationally and will initiate protests if the government remains intransigent.”

UZ officials justified the move claiming that the hikes were in line with the escalating costs of education in the country.

Undergraduate Arts and Humanities students are now required to pay $30 million per year up from $6 million.