UZ fees case postponed

A HIGH Court judge yesterday postponed a case in which University of Zimbabwe (UZ) students are seeking an order compelling the university to reverse its steep fees incease.

The UZ Students Representative Council (SRC) approached the High Court challenging a staggering 1 000% fees hike in September.

Under the new fees structure, undergraduate students have to pay as much as $500 000 and a million for masters studies per semester.

However, High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi postponed the matter to November 24 saying he needed more time to come up with a ruling.

"It's a case of bringing the vice-chancellor and the minister who made the suggestion together and hear the reasons for the increase in fees, so as to know whether it's deemed as a necessary measure, knowing how the decision came about will shed more light on how to go about this case, hence hearing is set for November 24," said Chitapi.

According to the students' lawyer Tendai Biti, the fees hike was unjustified.

In their submissions, the UZ students said: "Consultations were done the wrong way as just one member of the SRC was requested to attend the meeting when by right other members of the council were supposed to be present there.

"By right the process of fees hiking should have been done the right way and that involves consultations with the students' council, the finance committee and the financial council. All of these mentioned parties were not involved in this unlawful act."

The September fees hike triggered protests and some students being arrested after police stormed the UZ main campus.