The High court in Blantyre on Wednesday adjourned to December 12 the fees hike case involving University of Malawi (UNIMA) council and polytechnic students.
The students first brought the case before court on October 19 to stop the UNIMA council from effecting the new fees structure and Judge Healey Potani ruled in their favour.
The council however asked the court to re-hear the case since Unima was not represented in court when the students carried the day. And on December 12 the court will rule whether the first ruling should be considered or not.
Speaking in court on Wednesday, the council’s lawyer Ted Loka said the council has not changed its decision to hike the fees.
He claimed that even though the Polytechnic calendar is behind other colleges as the students have argued, that is not important because what matters in students’ maintenance is the financial year.
On his part, lawyer for the students Wanangwa Hara said all college communications indicate that the new fees structure, which will see students paying K350,000 a year each, will be effected in the 2016/2017 calendar.
Commenting on the issue, Polytechnic Students Union (PSU) president Frank Msiska said all they want is for the school to be opened despite that the issue is in court since the closure of the college is infringing on their right to education.
Before the case was heard for the first time in October, the students obtained an injunction stopping the college from effecting a new fees structure.
The Unima council reacted by delaying the opening of the college.
