Ben Phiri’s K485,000 lifeline saves Luanar student from exam ban

A student who faced being barred from his university examinations over unpaid fees has been thrown a lifeline after a Cabinet minister stepped in to clear his debt.

Prosper Chimombo, a third-year Irrigation student at LUANAR’s NRC Campus, was staring at the prospect of missing his December 1, 2026 examinations after failing to raise the remaining K485,000 needed to settle his tuition fees.

But after media reports highlighted his plight earlier this week, Thyolo Central MP and Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ben Malunga Phiri, intervened and paid the outstanding balance.

Phiri said he was touched by the student’s situation after reading the published reports on Tuesday and decided to act.

The intervention means Chimombo can now continue his studies and sit for his examinations without the looming threat of exclusion over the unpaid fees.

The dramatic turnaround comes just days after the struggling student appealed for assistance, with fears growing that years of hard work could be derailed by financial hardship.