Mzuni sends 945 students on suspension, lawyer says illegal 

About six hundred government sponsored students at Mzuzu University (Mzuni) have been sent on an indefinite suspension following mayhem they caused over “insufficient meal allowances,” Nyasa Times has established.mzuni

Exempted from the suspension are self-sponsored students and, first years who began their studies in September this year.

 Nyasa Times journalist Pius Nyondo in the Northern Region city of Mzuzu said “students went rowdy following a disagreement on how much they should receive as allowances in the month of December considering the fact that they were only supposed to be on campus till the 19th.”

He added: “They acted on the issue so irrationally to the extent that they went on the streets causing mayhem on a Saturday.”

The students wanted full monthly allowances of K40 000 each, a demand management branded as unjustifiable and had, instead given out K20 000.

Apparently, so Nyasa Times understands, government ordered all institutions of higher learning to start implementing a new system of disbursing student allowances which requires that the allowances be paid based on the period the students are on campus.

A memo issued and signed by the university registrar Vyson Jedegwa cited “barricading motorists on Karonga-Mzuzu M1 Road and sexually harassing members of the non-academic staff” as some of the main reasons for the suspension.

The memo had more than twenty other counts and did not indicate when the students would be coming back on campus.

An attempt to get an injunction through Mzuzu-based law firm Ralph & Arnolds hit a blank wall as Mzuzu High Court judge is said to have refused to grant the students the relief.

Meanwhile, a hearing is scheduled for tomorrow on the same; and, that will determine way forward on the fate of the students.

The students were supposed to finish the semester by the 19th of December.

Twelve students were arrested in the process and charged with conduct likely to cause a breach of peace, northern region police publicist Maurice Chapola confirmed to Nyasa Times.

Mzuzu-based private practice lawyer George Kadzipatike has since condemned Mzuni decision to suspend  government-sponsored students without disciplinary hearing, arguing the decision is illegal.

According to Kadzipatike, the law requires that students go through a disciplinary process before being suspended. He said Mzuni’s decision is misguided and unlawful.

He also wondered how the university could suspend all the students without sieving those who were not involved in the riots.

Mzuni vice-chancellor Robert Ridley said they  wanted to shut the whole school “but it would have been unfair to the self-sponsored students.”

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Chimbiya Weniweni
9 years ago

Not good at all.Everywhere money to be the causative.Kodi tinene kuti Mzuni staff irandiranso half salary chifukwa choti the semster ithera pa 19 dcember?

Arthur G.M. Mtambo
9 years ago

PEPANI ENANU MWAFERA ZA ENI.

Kholowa mkabudula
Kholowa mkabudula
9 years ago

Let’s be honest here,do you discipline innocent pipo? I believe there should be one or two who has been suspended for not taking part in the protests. If he was your son would you be happy with that? I can’t argue for them who we’re rioting they deserve it, but the innocent, l feel sorry for them!

otchukayo
otchukayo
9 years ago

kodi makolo ena mumaganiza ngati osazindikira bwanji? a munapitapo ku xul koma? a school has rules n they say one cn notvbe suspended before goin through disciplinary, ana ena achotsedwa osalakwa n u hape abwt that… think twice before putin down ur useless comments… mind u not all who are at unima are intelligent other are more dall bolanso aku mzuni .. ena anapita ku unima becoz makolo awo ndioIwika nde saying aku mzuni ndima residue ndiuchitsiru chabe in other words kusazindikira… ifenso makolo athu misonkhoyo amalipira nawo… they shud hv considered omwe sanapange nawowo…

otchukayo
otchukayo
9 years ago

kodi makolo ena mumaganiza ngati osazindikira bwanji? a munapitapo ku xul koma? a school has rules n they say one cn notvbe suspended before goin through disciplinary, ana ena achotsedwa osalakwa n u hape abwt that… think twice before putin down ur useless comments… mind u not all who are at unima are intelligent other are more dall bolanso aku mzuni .. ena anapita ku unima becoz makolo awo ndioIwika nde saying aku mzuni ndima residue ndiuchitsiruvchabe in other words kusazindikira… ifenso makolo athu misonkhoyo amalipira nawo… they shud hv considered omwe sanapange nawowo…

msirkal
msirkal
9 years ago

silly idiots, go back to school or tell your parent to give you the money! retarded imbeciles,do you know how much we are paying on misonkho?

Eliam k
Eliam k
9 years ago

Mzuzuso nde chani mmesa ndi TTC mbuzi za ana ife tikulila pano ndi misonkho, stupid

NGANGA
NGANGA
9 years ago

Very good to suspend them. Stupid students they should receive allowancer from their parents. Zitsiru misonkho ikhale yotsekera mseu. Foolish and idiots

college of medicie
college of medicie
9 years ago

mbuzi za ana. ana opanda nzeru. ma residue a uee. dont u knw that u receive the money based on the days u have spend at xul. tell me a scenario where people have been given allowances for 2 weeks on a one week workshop. achita bwino kukuchosani. munakangotseka xul yonse for one year bwana ridley

naneso
naneso
9 years ago

TAKHALACHA WINA MALAWI, FUMU YITOVWIRE, BULEDI K300, SHUGA K500,MASAMBA YA TEA K500.

NACHEPA INEEEE, MSONKHO THWAAAAA

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