HARARE The University of Zimbabwe resembles a market place with students forced to scrape a living selling anything from sweets to airtime.We have to do something or we might not be able to attend the lectures at all, said Terrence Sibanda, a student vendor at the compass.
The fees are just too much, imagine my parents had to part with US$450 to pay for the tuition. I cannot expect them to support me, I have to stand for myself, said Israel Danga from Masvingo.
So difficult is life at the countrys oldest institution of higher learning that the majority of the students dropped out and the few that are soldiering on have found the situation worsening by the day.
Sometimes, when we do not have the money for our bus fare, we have to walk to the city centre, said another student.
Students are vending not only to get bus fare and food but also to meet accommodation costs that are usually more than US$100 a month.
Even though the college has opened the resident hostels, few can afford the US$400 rent a month.
Post published in: News