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Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Bureau

Midlands State University (MSU) students are jostling for accommodation within the institution’s campus, amid revelations that some house owners who used to offer off-campus accommodation are now demanding rentals in United Sates dollars.

Students who spoke to this paper said they could no longer afford accommodation outside campus, yet there was a shortage on campus.

“We will be opening the second semester in two weeks’ time, so we are trying to secure accommodation,” said one student who only identified himself as Shelton.

“The challenge now is that some of the landlords in Senga and Nehosho suburbs where we usually get accommodation are now demanding rentals in USD.”

Shelton said there was pressure at the university, which has limited on-campus accommodation.

Another student, Ms Memory Makore, said her landlord was now demanding $50 per room per month.

“I can’t afford that, the institution must help us out because my parents are civil servants and they can’t raise the US$50,” she said.

MSU public relations director Mrs Mirirai Mawere said the institution had a well-organised network for both on-campus and off-campus accommodation.

She said there were wardens who dealt with students’ accommodation affairs in every suburb in Gweru and urged those with problems to visit the student’s affairs for assistance.

“For the record, the MSU is one of the universities with the largest on-campus accommodation in Africa,” said Mrs Mawere.

“We can accommodate up to 6 500 students per semester and no university has such capacity in Africa.

“We, however, still have an off-campus accommodation data base where land lords willing to accommodate our students can come and register with the institution. We have this database and students with problems can come and we refer them to these places.”

Mrs Mawere said every new student at the institution went through an orientation to familiarise them on how the institution operated.

She said many students were not making use of some of the information they will be given during orientation.

“During our orientation, we always advise these students about these off campus and on campus wardens,” she said.

“We do this for the purposes of communication in cases of emergency, it seems most students do not make use of these channels or they are just ignorant.

“If we go to the student’s affairs to check for any issues raised by our students like the one you are raising, there will be no complaint, meaning they are not making use of these available networks.”

Mrs Mawere urged students to make use of wardens appointed by the institution when looking for accommodation.