Nust students in campus rumpus

Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Reporter
NATIONAL University of Science and Technology (Nust) students yesterday staged a demonstration to press university management to end the lecturers’ strike. The students marched from Delta Lecture Theatre to the administration building where they demanded to be addressed by the vice chancellor Professor Lindela Ndlovu.

Lecturers have been refusing to teach Masters and Parallel students for almost a month complaining over non-payment for teaching the students on the parallel programme.

Nust SRC president Lucky Muza said the strike was not only affecting part time students but all students.
“We have been let down by this institution. We want the vice chancellor to come and address us.

“If the administration and the lecturers cannot come to a consensus they should just shut down the university and call us when they are ready,” he                  said.

Muza said this semester was likely to be extended because of the strike.
“We paid fees and we want this impasse to be resolved as soon as possible so that normal lectures can resume,” he said.

Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union (Zicosu) president Farai Mteliso also participated in the demonstration and urged the university to resolve the impasse.

“We are not going anywhere before the vice chancellor comes to address us and if he is not around then the pro-vice chancellor should address us,” he said.

Mteliso said the situation at Nust was infringing on the students’ right to education.
Police had to be called in to disperse the demonstrating students.

The students resolved to meet again today at 9AM.
Lecturers accuse the university authorities of diverting money generated from part time programmes to other uses instead of paying them.

Some of the students are supposed to write their final examination next month.
Nust spokesperson Felix Moyo said the university position was that the court declared the strike illegal.