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Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
LUPANE State University (LSU) has reportedly failed to pay its lectures for non-conventional classes with the latter threatening no to mark examination scripts for the past semester until their dues are paid.
Lectures who spoke via their Academic Staff Association gave the university officials a three- day ultimatum to address their grievances or face a strike or legal action.
However, LSU spokesperson Mr Zwelithini Dhlamini said the university has indeed been facing financial challenges such that it is struggling to pay the lecturers.
“We have challenges in paying our lecturers on time due to financial constraints. Students are not paying their tuition in full amounts as they are supposed to. They made payment plans with us and they paid minimum amounts in order for them to register and be able to sit for examinations,” he said.
He went on: “They then try to pay off the balances just when results are released or after so that they can collect their results.”
Mr Dhlamini said the trickling in of funds as and when the students find money was causing payment delays to the lecturers and promised to sort the issue out as soon as possible.
“In the next few days it may be sorted out according to cash inflows, this is a priority issue for us as an institution and all our inflows are being channeled in that direction now,” he assured.
He further said the affected students are those that are on block release and parallel programmes while the conventional classes were not affected.
“The conventional scripts are being marked; it is only the other formats that were affected because the contractual agreements are different with each format,” he said.
The university said traditionally the scripts are marked and completed two weeks after the end of examinations and processed so that those who have supplementary examinations can sit for them and still graduate.
Online Reporter