THE Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) yesterday threatened to shut down universities and colleges in seven days if the Higher and Tertiary Education ministry turns down its request for dialogue over basket of challenges.
The union has been protesting over what it terms “out of
reach” tuition fees, and have requested an audience with the ministry to
prevent further drop-outs.
Addressing the students on Monday at ministry offices,
Zinasu president Emmanuel Sitima said students were frustrated by the refusal
of authorities to dialogue.
“If they fail to respond within that time frame, Zinasu
will have no other choice but to shut down institutions of higher learning,”
said Sitima.
“We also held a multi-stakeholder meeting on February 27,
which was attended by all stakeholders including the Parliamentary Portfolio
Committee on Higher Education, but the ministry decided not to come.”
Sitima said students wanted to be heard and their input
considered in shaping policies that affect them directly.
“We have several requests that we have towards the minister
for a meeting to be able to give him our views as a student union because we
believe that he (minister Amon Murwira) does not have a monopoly of ideas and
solutions to the problems we are facing as students,” he said.
“We are sons and daughters of peasants and civil servants
who are anywhere below the poverty line.”
A survey by the union showed that a number of students were
forced to defer studies, drop out, engage in crime and prostitution and other
illegal activities to fund their continued stay at the institutions of higher
learning.
In March, Murwira angered students when he told them that
there was no free education and learners should engage in work-for-fees
programmes.
According to Section 75 of the Constitution, it is the
government’s obligation to ensure education is free and accessible to all
learners of school-going age. Newsday
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