According to Blessing Vava, the spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Students Union, students arrived on campus in the morning to find gates at the institution locked. Security guards were only allowing in the students who had paid their campus fees. Within minutes students had mobilized themselves inside and outside the campus to demonstrate against the move and also denounce the fee reductions announced by the Ministry of Higher Education as inadequate.
Vava told Newsreel that despite the fee reductions the new figures were considerably higher than the money earned by their parents. Students clashed with campus security guards as they made their feelings known. The university Vice-Chancellor Professor Katsvanga appeared to have left his office to address the students, but as it turned out he merely accompanied police to pinpoint the alleged ring leaders of the demonstration. As a result student leaders Respect Ndanga, Innocent Kapoya and Kelvin Veremu were arrested and taken to Bindura's central police station.Â
Under new fee structures students at polytechnics will pay each term:
US$100 – was US$200 for a national certificate.
US$150 – was US$500 for a national diploma.
US$200 – was US$600 for a higher national diploma.Â
US$350 – was US$1200 for a Bachelor of Technology degree
US$150 – was US$500 Â for a teacher training diploma
US$300 – was US$800 for arts humanities and social scienceÂ
US$350 – was US$1200 for hard sciences and engineeringÂ
US$400 – was US$1600 for medicine and veterinary science Â
Vava said they have since requested a meeting with government officials to discuss the new fees announced Wednesday.
 By Lance Gum
Post published in: Politics