Student leaders arrested in Bulawayo

Student leaders arrested in Bulawayo

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By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWEAN police on Wednesday arrested 10 student leaders in Bulawayo during as students met to discuss sharp fees increases and an upsurge in the number of students dropping out of college.

The arrested students included Promise Mkananzi, who is the Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) president, Clever Bere, the students union leader at the National
University of Science and Technology and Tafadzwa Chengewa, president of the students union at Hillside Teachers College.

They face public order charges.

Zinasu executive member Lawrence Mashungu Thursday said the arrests were made at Bulawayo’s United College of Education (UCE).

“Many students have failed to raise the fees that are demanded as a result
they are not attending lectures while some are squatting in hostels,” he said.

Zimbabwe, which had one of the highly regarded education systems in Africa is failing to adequately fund the sector due to an economic and political crisis gripping the country.

Standards are set to plummet further as qualified teachers are leaving in droves for South Africa where they are guaranteed better salaries and conditions.

The Zimbabwe government increased fees at state universities and colleges by between 300 and 2,000% last week.

Government officials insist the increases as reasonable.

Hard-hit will be medical and veterinary students at state institutions, who will now be forced to pay 180,000 Zimbabwe dollars ($720) per year, up from Z$44,000.

Students at government-run industrial training centres will be forced to pay Z$42,000 per year, up from Z$2,000.

"The need to increase fees arises from the essence of maintaining quality higher and tertiary education and global competitiveness in terms of Zimbabwean academic standards," said Washington Mbizvo, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Higher Education.
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