Kudzai Chikiwa Bulawayo Bureau
GOVERNMENT has said all State tertiary education institutions are not increasing school fees and should accept payment in local currency for Zimbabweans and foreign currency for foreigners. There were social media reports alleging that State institutions, including the Midlands State University (MSU), had increased their tuition fees and were demanding hard currency from local students.
In a recent interview, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Professor Amon Murwira, said no Government institutions could review school fees without approval.
“Those are fake reports circulating on social media causing panic. The correct position is that we did not approve a revision of tuition fees in State tertiary institutions,” said Prof Murwira.
He said all fees were revised annually by his ministry and any adjustments were communicated officially through his office.
“These are State-owned institutions and we cannot expect Government positions to be communicated through unreliable sources. School fees ordinances are signed by the minister and communicated officially,” he said.
Prof Murwira said State institutions complied with the law of the land and did not invent their own form of payment.
“We comply with the Government’s policy on forms of payment, which means these institutions continue accepting bank transfers, EcoCash and cash that they were using last year.
“Let it be clear that we have a policy that says foreign students only pay in foreign currency and this does not apply to local students. We do not demand foreign currency from local students. The only approved adjustment is that student on industrial attachment pay 60 percent of their school fees,” Prof Murwira said.
He urged stakeholders to report any institution that invents its own rules of payments so that it is corrected right away.