More students demos: University of Livingstonia to protests fee hike

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University of Livingstonia

Students of University of Livingstonia have faulted the university management for its decision to hike fees, saying the college offers low quality services.

The new fees regime will see off-campus students paying K472,000 from K365,000 per semester and on-campus students paying K532,000 per semester from K365,000 last year. The students will start paying the new fees in the semester that begins in September this year.

But the university’s students union spokesperson, Madalitso Mwenda, said the students have protested the hike because the college is in a poor state.

University of Livingstonia
University of Livingstonia students ‘angered’.

“In fact, we are demanding a fees hike stop order because of poor hostels which are congested, poor internet, lack of books, limited desks, limited lecturers and toilets which have been in poor state since 2014,” Mwenda said.

He added that the students already wrote a petition asking the university to reverse the decision but they are not satisfied with the college’s response.

According to a letter from the university’s management, they hiked the fees because of high cost of goods and services.

“We want to inform you that fees has been adjusted because of high cost of goods and services for running the university, as you are aware that rate of kwacha has been fluctuating against the dollar, this has resulted to increase of goods and services,” reads part of the letter.

However, Mwenda said the students through students union will write a second letter against the hike and if it will not work they will hold peaceful demonstrations.

“We will hold systematic demonstrations in September when school opens which will mean exposing the scam with our well backed documents,” he said. “If the management fails to hear our concerns again we will seek legal help.”