UNIMA council adamant on new fees, challenges Polytechnic students in court

Council for the University of Malawi (UNIMA) is scheduled to appeal a case where Polytechnic students obtained injunction restraining the council from implement the newly revised fees in public universities in the 2015/16 academic year.

Recently the High Court ruled that students at the college must pay old tuition fees as they were still in the 2015/2016 academic year and not in the 2016/2017 academic year, which the hike is meant for.

But the council is arguing that the new fees structure was effected on all the constituent colleges regardless of the academic calendar.

Speaking in an interview with the press on Monday, Unima Vice-Chancellor Professor John Kalenga Saka said the college requires K6 billion to run its operations and if the new fees will not be effected, the college will have a deficit of K2 billion to run the college, thereby compromising on the quality of education it offers.

Saka also hinted that the Polytechnic Students Union did not communicate to the council on the injunction they obtained on September 28, 2016, and the ruling on October 19 was made in ‘secrecy’ without hearing the council’s side.

“We have made an appeal so that our side of the story is heard, we will be able to open based on assurance that quality will not be compromised,” he reiterated.

The Polytechnic was expected to open on October 3 for a new academic year.