Chronicle Editor
Zvamaida Murwira, Harare Bureau
Students are concerned about the new university fees set in January and have suggested linking fee hikes with civil service salary rises so that parents can either pay fees or service loans raised for fees.
The students from universities and polytechnic colleges across Zimbabwe were giving oral evidence before Parliament’s portfolio committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology Development, Innovation and Tertiary Education. The committee chaired by Hwange Central legislator Mr Daniel Molokele (MDC Alliance) wanted to know the impact of recent fees hikes in tertiary institutions.
Government, through Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Technology Development Minister Prof Amon Murwira set university fees at between $3 500 and $5 000 per semester depending on the programme, arguing that there was need to balance the desire for quality education and affordability.
Yesterday Minister Murwira defended his fee rise limits, saying in an interview they were reasonable and were commensurate with the increases in civil service salaries, answering one of the key interventions by students.
In their evidence, the students had said there was need for Government to reduce the fees or bring them into line with salaries that subsisted among civil servants.
Online Reporter