Six Kamuzu College of Nursing students arrested: Riot police battle protestors

Riot police in Lilongwe have succesfully crashed a fee hike protest by Kamuzu College of Nursing.

The police fired teargas, scattering the students before they were confined into the campus.

The police heavy handedness follows the students decision to block the way into the central region only referral hospital, the Kamuzu Central Hospital.

The students who started the protests as early as six in the morning, blocked the way to the hospital, chanted songs and told motorists they would not get into the hospital.

However, within one hour the protests were over after the riot police came to the college and crashed the protests without much resistance.

The students said they were protesting against the college fee hike.

At Kamuzu College of Nursing Blantyre campus, the students said they will go ahead with the protests despite the Blantyre City Council telling them not to do so.

Students Union leader for Kamuzu College of Nursing Blantyre Campus Masambiro Msiska said demonstrations are a Constitutional right and would disregard the refusal by the Blantuyre City Council.

Students at Chancellor College and Polytechnic also protested against the fee hikes.

The University Council recently proposed a fee hike in all the University of Malawi (Unima) constituent colleges.

The current fees for all Unima colleges is K275 000 ($380) and the proposed fees by the University Council are K570 000 ($788) for Chanco, K610 000 ($843) for the Polytechnic and Kamuzu College of Nursing and K760 000 ($1 050) for College of Medicine.

However, government approved K400 000 ($552) for Chancellor College, K450 000 ($622) for KCN and Polytechnic and K500 000 ($691) for College of Medicine.