News / Education
University bars pregnant student from campus
29 Mar 2015 at 10:00hrs | Views
GREAT Zimbabwe University allegedly barred a pregnant student from their Mucheke campus accommodation, telling her "we do not accept people of your condition" to stay on campus.
The aggrieved student, who had already paid the required $220 accommodation fee was turned away by campus janitors when she went to the university to collect the keys to her room, with them insisting that they did not want any "problems".
The student is seven months pregnant.
However, the university's dean of students, Mr Lovemore Chirove, has denied the allegations levelled against the institution, saying they had no such policy in place but would investigate the matter.
"In brief I can say we have no such policy in place. We will, however, investigate the matter to find out what really happened but please can you contact our public relations and information officer Mr Anderson Chipatiso for a detailed comment," said Mr Chirove.
Mr Chipatiso's mobile phone was continually unreachable.
Contacted for comment on the matter, Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Oppah Muchinguri said if such had happened the university should immediately reverse the decision as this was not only depriving the student of her rights but also a form of negligence on the part of the learning institution.
"That is very illegal if it took place. Why bar a student from campus accommodation because she is pregnant, there is something clearly amiss in all this. Actually, a pregnant student is much safer when she is on campus rather than outside.
"This is clearly infringing on the rights of the student as both a student and a girl child.
"I believe if there is such a policy it is someone being mischievous and not the university policy. The student should simply approach the relevant authority and this decision be reversed," said Muchinguri.
In an interview with Sunday News, the student, who preferred anonymity fearing victimisation, said she had to go back to her home in Harare as she was left stranded with nowhere to stay after being rejected by the janitors for being pregnant.
She claimed the janitors had to write a letter for her to be given a refund of the $220 she had paid as accommodation fees.
"I think what happened to me is unfair, I tried getting assistance from a number of offices at the university but no one seemed to be wanting to hear my case. The janitors were frank with me saying they did not accept people in my condition. I remember one of the janitors who penned the letter for me to get a refund was Mr Obvious Chiweshe.
"Now I have to go back to Masvingo and look for alternative accommodation. It seems it is now a crime to fall pregnant at the university. If I fail to get any accommodation I will be forced to defer," said the student.
Sunday News also managed to contact the janitor, Mr Chiweshe, who immediately hung up and later efforts to contact him were fruitless as his mobile phone was either unreachable or rang without an answer.
The aggrieved student, who had already paid the required $220 accommodation fee was turned away by campus janitors when she went to the university to collect the keys to her room, with them insisting that they did not want any "problems".
The student is seven months pregnant.
However, the university's dean of students, Mr Lovemore Chirove, has denied the allegations levelled against the institution, saying they had no such policy in place but would investigate the matter.
"In brief I can say we have no such policy in place. We will, however, investigate the matter to find out what really happened but please can you contact our public relations and information officer Mr Anderson Chipatiso for a detailed comment," said Mr Chirove.
Mr Chipatiso's mobile phone was continually unreachable.
Contacted for comment on the matter, Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Oppah Muchinguri said if such had happened the university should immediately reverse the decision as this was not only depriving the student of her rights but also a form of negligence on the part of the learning institution.
"This is clearly infringing on the rights of the student as both a student and a girl child.
"I believe if there is such a policy it is someone being mischievous and not the university policy. The student should simply approach the relevant authority and this decision be reversed," said Muchinguri.
In an interview with Sunday News, the student, who preferred anonymity fearing victimisation, said she had to go back to her home in Harare as she was left stranded with nowhere to stay after being rejected by the janitors for being pregnant.
She claimed the janitors had to write a letter for her to be given a refund of the $220 she had paid as accommodation fees.
"I think what happened to me is unfair, I tried getting assistance from a number of offices at the university but no one seemed to be wanting to hear my case. The janitors were frank with me saying they did not accept people in my condition. I remember one of the janitors who penned the letter for me to get a refund was Mr Obvious Chiweshe.
"Now I have to go back to Masvingo and look for alternative accommodation. It seems it is now a crime to fall pregnant at the university. If I fail to get any accommodation I will be forced to defer," said the student.
Sunday News also managed to contact the janitor, Mr Chiweshe, who immediately hung up and later efforts to contact him were fruitless as his mobile phone was either unreachable or rang without an answer.
Source - sundaynews
