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NewsDay

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UZ denies plans to hike fees

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UNIVERSITY of Zimbabwe (UZ) Vice-Chancellor Levy Nyagura yesterday described as “blatant lies” reports that the institution was planning to increase tuition fees by 100% starting from next semester.

UNIVERSITY of Zimbabwe (UZ) Vice-Chancellor Levy Nyagura yesterday described as “blatant lies” reports that the institution was planning to increase tuition fees by 100% starting from next semester.

By Everson Mushava

Nyagura said the university was still charging old fees prescribed in the Fees Ordinance No 50 approved by the Higher and Tertiary Education ministry on February 8 2011.

“The university was shocked to read in the newspapers that the University of Zimbabwe was set to increase tuition fees by more than 100%. These are blatant lies,” Nyagura said in a statement yesterday.

Media reports had suggested that UZ was hiking fees following the cash-strapped government’s decision to withdraw funding and allow the institution to raise its own money for lecturers’ and support staff salaries.

The sources yesterday insisted government had issued the directive to increase fees, but later reneged after realising that the move could spark mass protests by students. “The university could have been forced to back-track following threats by students that they would resist the move. Maybe they had engaged the government and secured assurance that salaries for lecturers would be paid.”

President Robert Mugabe last week publicly dressed down Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa after the latter announced that the government had suspended bonus payments for civil servants until 2017 because the government was broke.