GWERU — The Midlands State University (MSU) says it has started construction of a hostel to ease the accommodation crisis facing its students.
MSU registrar Erasmus Mupfiga told NewsDay on Tuesday the hostel to accommodate 750 students would be ready by August.
Most of the university’s estimated 12 000 students are reportedly staying in rented houses in the nearby Senga suburb.
“Construction of a hostel is underway behind the new adminstration block,” he said.
“We expect completion of the block by the end of August this year and this new hostel will accommodate 750 students,” he said.
“At the end of 2011 we had about 12 580 students.
“ If we subtract the number of students on attachment at any given semester, that is around 3 000 it means we are left with 9 000 students.
“Our campuses, that is the main campus and Batanai campus in Senga, barely accommodate 1 000 students.
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“This means 6 000-plus students have to look for alternative accommodation elsewhere,” Mupfiga added.
Landlords in Senga are reportedly charging between $50 and $80 per student per month, with an average of four students sharing a single room.
