UZ students want 500% increase reversed

HIGH court Judge, Justice Tawanda Chitapi, has reserved judgement in a case where University of Zimbabwe (UZ) Students are seeking an order for the institution to reverse the exorbitant fees it announced.

UZ students approached the High Court in September in an attempt to thwart the 500% percent fees increase by the higher learning institution.

The students, represented by Tendai Biti, argued that the institution erred in hiking fees as the students were not present as per the University Act.

Biti said the economic environment currently obtaining in the country is not conducive for a fee hike as proposed by UZ.

According to Biti, UZ had no legal basis for the fee increase as it had received an allocation from this year's supplementary budget by the Treasury amounting to ZW$4 billion.

UZ through legal representative Ray Goba had a torrid time before the court in justifying the fee hike, arguing that the institution proposed the fee hike, with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary education approving.

He also submitted that the students prematurely approached the High Court when consultations for a fee hike were in progress.