Bulawayo Polytechnic students protest USD fees

Students at the Bulawayo Polytechnic are up in arms with the institution over its demand that they pay fees in United States Dollars (USD).

This demand, said the students, violates the government's policy that states no service provider may require anyone to pay for services solely in foreign currency, but people are free to pay in any currency they prefer in the multi-currency country basket.

Students who requested anonymity fearing victimisation from the institution's authorities told CITE that on January 4, 2024, they received a memorandum requiring them to settle their fees in United States dollars.

"The memo didn't indicate the RTGS account details that give us an option of paying in local currency as we were used to. l had already paid part of my fees using the bank rate last year. But when we went to Accounts this week to clear our arrears, we were informed we were not supposed to pay in RTGS as the fees were now strictly USD," said one of the students.

The student said the Accounts department told them to "write an application letter for a refund then pay the fees in USD"

Aside from the accountant's verbal announcement and the memo sent on January 4, 2024, the students stated there was no other official communication from the institution stating they must pay fees strictly in USD.

Concerned parents added they had already paid fees in local currency (RTGS) and were told they would be refunded and have to pay again in USD.

"I have a daughter doing a Diploma with Bulawayo Polytechnic. I paid for her school fees last year using RTGS after converting the USD fees using the prevailing exchange rate. Surprisingly, I received a call from my daughter telling me the school bursar says the fees should be paid strictly in USD," said one worried parent.

According to the parent, her daughter and other students were advised to fill out forms in order to be reimbursed for the RTGS fees they had already paid.

"Forcing a currency is against the government's practice. Last year the school had a memorandum that said fees can be paid in RTGS using the prevailing exchange rate. What is worrying us is the school doesn't want to hear anything from us as the parents," said the parent.

When contacted for comment, the public relations department informed the publication that Bulawayo Polytechnic Principal, Chiedza Masanganise, was travelling and would return next Monday.

Another guardian said they had tried to engage the principal but she refused to entertain them.

"The principal was not in the mood to entertain us. I wanted to engage her, enlighten her how unreasonable, unethical and illegal that practice is but unfortunately she refused. We then spoke to another Head of Department who said they can only inform us about the policy of the institution," said the guardian.

The guardian stated that the standoff caused by Bulawayo Polytechnic was causing a rift at home because his child, for whom he was paying fees, was now accusing him of refusing to pay fees.

The guardian remarked that if the institution refused payment in local currency, they would take the issue up to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education Innovation Science and Technology Development.