Unima Council meet was ‘connived one’, University of Malawi  Students Union say

University of Malawi (Unima) Students Union (Umsu) and Polytechnic Students Union (PSU) members have justified their decision to walk out of a meeting Unima Council called to iron out differences surrounding fees hike ahead of the college opening early February 2017, saying it was “connived one.”

Some of the students captured after walking out of the meeting

Umsu General Secretary, Dalitso Dulani said their leadership noticed that University Management had set a good foundation to advance their agenda and they decided to withdraw from the meeting and organised a news briefing to tell the nation what had happened in that “connived meeting” at Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) Lilongwe Campus..

“The meeting was a connived one. They invited the so called parents from the cities. Their representation as well as the creteria used to identify such parents is highly questionable. The constitutionality sorrounding their grouping is beyond doubt not within the legal frame work of the Republic of Malawi. The question is how did a sea of thousands of parents across the nation turn into less than 15 parents without a formal selection creteria.?  That leaves alot more to be desired,” said Dulani in a statement to students.

He further said: “The University Management, without the knowledge of UMSU and PSU invited about 5 students from the Polytechnic and had agreed with them  to frustrate the actions of UMSU and PSU during the meeting. UMSU asked the University Management to ensure that the students in question are not part of the meeting but University Management insisted that they be part of the meeting knowing that they were put in with an aim to advance their Agenda.

“We also feel that University Management has made external agreements with some members of PSU. These includes; Owen Patel-The Vice President, Alexander Chigalu-The Financial Controller and Tadala Sambakusi-Director of Clubs and societies. From the meeting proceedings, It clrearly showed that the mentioned members had connived with The university Managemnet so as to suppress the direction taken by UMSU and PSU on the matter. They even went against the PSU President  in the meeting yet it is a plain story that the issue of  timing of implementation of fee hike was sorted out in court.”

Addressing a news conference, Umsu president Tiwonge Sikwese and his PSU counterpart Frank Msiska told said  the council invited them to persuade students to “contravene a court order, which compels The Polytechnic not to effect the raise on continuing students”.

Sikwese also questioned the criteria the council management used to select representatives of the parents at the meeting who came driving posh vehicles, meaning they are from well-to-do families; hence, could not give a true picture of the neediness of the students opposed to the fee hike.

A resolution by Unima council to adjust upwards fees for both generic and mature entry students has riled a cross-section of the society, which feels the raise is ill-timed as Malawi is sailing through tough economic times.

The council pegged the new fees structures for generic students from K55 000 to K400 000, K275 000 to K400 000, and K275 000 to K900 000 for mature students.

This prompted students from the public universities mainly Chancellor College (Chanco), Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) and The Polytechnic to protest the hike.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
15 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Wanga ndi yemweyo
Wanga ndi yemweyo
7 years ago

This Dead People’s Party is indeed dead. And worse, they want to treat everybody like corpses. To me the issue is as clear as day light. The matter was settled in court, period! Why the meetings? How many court orders are you going to ignore? In the maize/Chapondagate? In the issue at hand here? I am a parent of one of the students at the Poly, and I don’t remember choosing some other parent to represent me on the issue. Who identified and appointed these so-called parents? Using what criteria? For what purpose? Can the council publish the names of… Read more »

Nyopex
Nyopex
7 years ago

School yalowa pasi mMalawi. Azolowera ma Degree apa internet lero.

Truth
7 years ago

We can’t explain matters anymore.
Stupid people don’t waste times of innocent students. What a bullshit country.

wazza
wazza
7 years ago

Mafana mukuchedwa nokha… UNIMA Council/management mukulimbana nayoyo zawoo zinayela kale..month end ndalama zikulowa ku ma account kwao inu mukungotuwa pakhomo

Satha
Satha
7 years ago

University council is just useless in our universities, they do not use their senses at all, just carrying orders from above>>>ZAMBA BASI<<<<. Political interference is to much in Malawi public universities, zimatikwana ife, a good university management should use their brains to run the institutions. kudyetsedwa mabanzi mwati mukufuna kupanga frustrate anzanu mu meeting, ana opusa, xul atsekula afune asafune!!!

Mwapusa, takuonani in 3D…

Kharupa
Kharupa
7 years ago

So u wanted everything to be free? U seem to be a lazy Malawian who would just want to be spoonfed….mukagwire ntchito amwene osamangodalira zaulere

koma abale inu eeh
koma abale inu eeh
7 years ago

Do these student leaders know that the art of negotiation in NOT to win it all? These leaders should also know that there are other stake holders in this important issue. Perhaps the new University Council should start flexing it muscles now. And corral these leaders back into the classrooms. They can quit if the want, but majority of of their cohorts are eager to go back. And the parents and guardians too: they want their kids to get the education that will help them, and their relatives, in future. These student leaders seem to see conspiracy theories all over… Read more »

Noxy
7 years ago

The Students are really wasting their precious time.Time is money and with these unresolved issues their time is going and their jobs that are awaiting for them are being taken over.Wake up! Your friends at Luanar are completing their studies amicably and are picking up good jobs follow suit.

aloweena papoly
aloweena papoly
7 years ago

If you guys are not careful you will finish school in your 50s.
You are wasting your own time. Some of you by now you would have finished and probably gotten yourself a job than to sit at home and be children ana andevu ngati inu.

ps go back to school!! Mukuchedwa

kikolo
kikolo
7 years ago

Useless DPP and their leader.

Read previous post:
President Mutharika owes Malawians an apology: Commission of Inquiry in serious credibility doubts

President Peter Mutharika must be the most stressed leader now. George Chaponda must be the most stressed minister. There is...

Close