The struggle continues at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) campus as students protest in their numbers over a second school fees hike.
UZ students are protesting against Fees Hike !!! Life in Zimbabwe is unaffordable #Fessmustfall by @WellenceMujuru pic.twitter.com/njLjPjOr8C
— Alistar Chibanda (@alistarchibanda) April 5, 2022
At the begging of the semester, UZ announced that fees were being increased just a few days before students were supposed to start attending lectures. Some students took to social media to complain about the sudden development and a few brave students protested but were arrested by riot police just as they left their dorms.
UZ.
This move of deploying riot police on Students that are demanding affordable fees is a wrong response. Which means the question will keep on coming over and over again.— Benon B Ncube🇿🇼 (@benon21b) April 4, 2022
The fees increments happened around the same time that the government and teachers were having a back and forth about teachers’ salaries.
Just in : thousands of students outside UZ administration demonstrating aganist fees increments. Increasing fees twice in a single semester is evil. Fees must fall shall remain the position of the union #Zinasulives pic.twitter.com/SfETlSLO2K
— ZINASU🇿🇼 (@Zinasuzim) April 4, 2022
Many students feel that the fees hikes are unfair given the current state of the economy. In their most recent protests, students were chanting “Fees must fall”. President ED Mnangagwa recently spoke about free education starting next year (2023). However, he only spoke about primary schools.
Prez @edmnangagwa, Yesterday UZ students were demonstrating against exorbitant fees and they have a question, last week demonstration erupted again and students were arrested. It's sad that we only see these headlines during campaign trail periods. Students are asking#HOWFAR? pic.twitter.com/qGkUs9dgaG
— ALLAN CHIPOYI (@AllanChipoyi) April 5, 2022