adminMSU which enrolls more than 13 000 students will open for its 2013 first semester next week and thousands of students have descended on Senga and Nehosho suburbs to seek accommodation. The institution which is still using former Gweru Teacher’s College infrastructure can only accommodate 1 000 students within its campus. A survey by Chronicle in the two suburbs at the weekend revealed that most landlords have since turned their places into boarding houses and were charging between $90 and $100 per head.
“I think it’s high time Government should do something to curb this madness by landlords in Senga. We are being made to live in squashed conditions and the $100 rentals per head is unjustifiable. Something needs to be done to correct this,” said one female student. The students said they would try to come up with an out of campus students association which will try and negotiate rentals in Senga.
They said the landlords in Senga were taking advantage of the accommodation crisis to impose unjustifiable figures.
“Last semester we were paying between $70 and $80 per head. Still the money was just too much and this time they have reviewed it to $100. There are a few who are charging $90 per head but still this is abnormal,” said another student.
The students said they were being congested in rooms, a development which they said was exposing them to contagious diseases.
“Four people are made to share one room and this is not healthy. The powers that be should at least do something to address this anomaly, which has been going on untamed in Senga,” said another student.
One of the landlords in Senga, Mrs Ana Chimwe said the $100 which was being charged on students includes a security fee.
She said students normally vandalise their properties and the money was justifiable.
“These students vandalise electricity plugs and walls and $100 is nothing considering that we have to renovate these houses every time they are on holiday after they have vandalized everything. We just accommodate them (students) into our houses because there is a crisis, but most of them are not responsible,” she said.
MSU acting public relations director, Ms Sinikiwe Tirivanhu said she was not at work when she was contacted for comment yesterday. Her assistant, Mr Reginald Nyango declined to comment saying he only entertain questions in writing.
“As a matter of policy, we only respond to questions put in writing. Unfortunately it’s a weekend and you should email your questions tomorrow (today),” he said.
Online Reporter