‘Brutalised’ medical students return to residences

Hundreds of University of Zimbabwe medical students were allowed to return to their halls of residence on Friday after a high court judge overturned their eviction by university authorities earlier in the week, in a move widely condemned by human rights organisations and political opposition parties.

Nearly 600 medical students were expelled from both on-campus and off-campus hostels last Monday, hours after they started a protest over what they claim was a unilateral fee hike just two days before they were due to begin examinations. The student protesters were accused by authorities of becoming violent and throwing stones – an accusation they deny.

Three members of the university’s Students Representative Council – Ignatius Mukuchi, Steven Tsikirai and Kudakwashe Guta – as well as anti-government activist and #ThisFlag leader Evan Mawarire who addressed the protesting students, were arrested.

Police allege that the student leaders acted in a disorderly conduct and committed public violence during the protest. Mawarire and Guta have since been released on bail, according to a report by state-controlled media.

The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights condemned what they termed the “brutalisation” of medical students by university security “while exercising their right to picket against the tuition fee hike”.

‘Brutal attack’

Zimbabwe National Students Union or ZINASU Secretary General Makomborero Haruzivishe described the incident as a brutal attack on peaceful students objecting an indiscriminate hike in tuition. ZINASU claims over 20,000 students have dropped out of tertiary institutions in the first quarter of 2017 because they could not afford fees.

In its own statement, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association said: “It is also clear that the rate at which the authorities have been hiking the tuition fees for university students, despite that many of them are already in huge debt, is insensitive to the economic realities prevailing in the country.”

Justice Nyaradzo Munangati-Manongwa ordered the university authorities to allow all medical students to return to the halls of residence after granting the order sought by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights on behalf of some University of Zimbabwe or UZ medical students.

Threats

According to a statement by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, some medical students involved in the protests have received threats from unidentified people who have been calling the students with withheld phone numbers and advising students that they “know how to deal with people like you”.

Against the backdrop of a struggling economy, the fee 'rise' has increased pressure on students and their families. The students claimed that the university administration purposefully extended their semester from 15 to 30 weeks in order to increase tuition to US$900, up from the US$450 usually paid for a semester of 15 weeks.

A new schedule of fees seen by University World News revealed that each medical student was now required to pay US$1,986 per term, including accommodation and ancillary fees, up from a total of US$772.

UZ Registrar Sergeant Chevo said at a meeting in mid-June between University of Zimbabwe Vice-Chancellor Professor Levi Nyagura and the student executive council that it was agreed that medical students would pay US$450 per semester of 15 weeks.

“In this regard, for third-year medical students [for a] 30-week semester, they should pay US$900. The vice-chancellor agreed that the students could apply for a payment plan and pay the fees while they attend lecturers,” Chevo said in a terse memo.

Minister denies fee increase

Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo denied claims by the students that tuition fees had been increased.

“The fees were never raised. The students were required to pay at a level commensurate with the duration of their period of study, that is US$450 per 15-week semester. Since the period doubled to 30 weeks they were required to pay US$900. Otherwise the fees were approved by the responsible minister and were provided for in Ordinance 50,” Moyo said in a statement available on Twitter.

UZ Students Representative Council Treasury General Ignatius Mukwichi said increasing tuition for medical students was completely unjustified given that the students already paid more than those in other faculties.

“They are just using the pro-rata system to justify an increase. As it is, students are already failing to pay the current tuition of US$772. Government should instead be subsidising our education. We are being charged a lot of fees, that include exams and laboratory fees during semesters when we don’t utilise these services. We want that addressed,” said Mukwichi.

Medical student Clifford Charera, who approached the High Court on behalf of students to suspend their eviction, said at around 1 pm on Monday, the university issued a notice directing all students to vacate halls of residence by 1.15 pm on the same day. He said he ordinarily resides in rural Rusape, in another province, and did not have anywhere else to go.

Tawanda Vudzijena, University of Zimbabwe Students Representative Council vice-chairperson, said university authorities had also forced out medical students who had not taken part in the demonstration.

“Even those who were attending lecturers and were not involved in the demonstration were chucked out of halls of residences. They were forced out and there have been no lectures for students at the medical school,” he said.

In their urgent application filed on Tuesday, the students’ lawyers Bellinda Chinowawa and Noble Chinhanu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights argued that they were shocked at the unreasonably short notice period given to students to move out of the university halls, particularly given how difficult it was to secure alternative accommodation.

The lawyers said many students were living in the open at the mercy of the elements. They argued that the matter was one of extreme urgency as final term examinations were to commence on the Wednesday.