University students boycott classes

Malawi University students boycotted classes on Tuesday a day after clashes with police in Zomba, 60 km from Blantyre, during a protest over tuition fees, AFP reported. “There were no classes today. The students were in their hostels while university authorities were meeting over the issue,” Wiseman Chirwa, a senior lecturer at the Chancellor college, said. Chirwa said three students were arrested after police chased them to a nearby village during three hours of clashes on Monday. The three were freed on bail and will appear in court on December 6 to answer charges of rowdy behaviour.

The students have been protesting against annual fees amounting to US $600, saying they cannot afford it since they come from poor families. The authorities on Saturday announced that fees had been halved, leading the students to petition the government to reduce further the fees. Chirwa said the students, who previously paid US $20 per year, were prepared to pay between US $40 and US $70.