UMSU deliver letter to OPC

University of Malawi Students Union (UMSU) on Monday delivered their letter seeking for an audience with President Peter Mutharika who is also chancellor of UNIMA, at The Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) in Lilongwe.

UMSU President, Tionge Sikwese, said he and seven other Student Union Leaders delivered the letter to the Principal Administrator of OPC, Clement Phiri.

“We delivered the letter around 12 in the afternoon, right now all we can do is wait to get feedback from the President on what the next step will be,” Said Sikwese.

The delivery of the letter to the OPC comes after a meeting which was held by UMSU representatives and other public universities at Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) campus in Lilongwe on 30 July, where the decision of seeking for an audience with the President was made.

This came after a long fight by UNIMA students who have made known their feelings of dismay towards the fee hike proposed by UNIMA council and government.

Chancellor College (Chanco), Polytechnic and KCN students have all held demonstrations protesting to the new fee hike saying the fee hike is too much and most students cannot afford.

KCN students from both Lilongwe and Blantyre campus delivered petitions on 27 July where they were pleading with the President to intervene in the issue saying if it is a must to raise fees then the fee hike needs to be reasonable.

UMSU, who also agree with a reasonable increase of fees if the hike is necessary have said those who pay K55 000 should pay not more than K100 000. Those paying K250 000 should pay K275 000, those who pay K275 should pay K280 000 and the new first years should pay K300 000.

They continued to say mature students for KCN and College of Medicine should not have their fees hiked since they are already expensive and mature students for Polytechnic and Chanco should pay K400 000.