President slashes university fees after student protests

Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika has bowed to pressure and slashed university fees following nationwide student protests that began last month and resulted in the arrest of more than 30 students.

Local media reported that Chancellor College in Zomba – a constituent college of the University of Malawi – was closed during demonstrations and after students obstructed a convoy in which Dr Jill Biden, wife of the United States vice-president, was travelling.

Malawi police arrested about 11 students from the college for leading anti-fee hike demonstrations that university authorities said were illegal, and a further 14 students at Malawi Polytechnic in Blantyre.

In the capital Lilongwe, seven students from Kamuzu College of Nursing, another constituent college of the University of Malawi, were arrested during similar protests.

President meets students

Mutharika, who presided over nearly a year of academic freedom protests when he was higher education minister and his late brother Bingu wa Mutharika was president, held discussions with about 15 student leaders from public universities after they requested to meet to find a solution to the fees impasse.

Before the meeting, the president addressed students and told them that he did not want them to believe that higher education was free. His government cared about those who could not afford to pay fees, which is why it increased the student loan facility in the national budget.

Mutharika said the problems at Malawi’s universities went beyond money – they touched on quality, access and the relevance of higher education.

He told the student leaders: “Our quality of university education needs to be improved. You yourselves are not happy with some of the conditions and environments in which you learn. Most Malawians want us to improve our education. We don’t want you to graduate as international rejects.

“The question of relevance involves curriculum reviewing processes, modern equipment and up-to-date books and reference materials. This cannot be for free.

“The question of adjusting fees, which brings you here, is about accessing university education. Access needs to be balanced with the quality and relevance of our education.”

Agreement reached

Mutharika then listened to student concerns and proposals, and subsequently issued a statement saying the meeting had been fruitful and he was glad that students had chosen dialogue.

He said the meeting agreed several resolutions, including that proposed fees be reduced by MWK50,000 (US$69) across the board and the immediate re-opening of the closed institution.

“I have committed to talk to the council to effect an immediate re-opening of Chancellor College so that the academic calendar should not be interrupted. The Ministry of Finance will make available MWK1.1 billion [US$1.5 million] to the university council to cover the loss of income incurred due to the reduction in the tuition fees.

“I am delighted that our students, our future intellectuals, addressed the matter with a sober mind and together we will continue discussing for the betterment of our nation,” he said.

Other comments

Maxwell Matewere, chair of the Civil Society Platform for Constructive Dialogue, congratulated Mutharika and students for amicably reaching a compromise on the fees saga.

He commended the re-opening of Chancellor College, but said charges against arrested students must be dropped – or accelerated so that their academic pursuits were not affected.

Matewere added that the government should ensure that loans and grants for needy students were not abused.

Information Minister Patricia Kaliati said government was aware that organisers of the student demonstrations wanted to use the university fees issue as an excuse to pursue a desperate agenda of mobilising a national political revolt.

Mutharika’s climb-down showed that he was a “true democrat”.