LILONGWE (Maravi Post)—Stakeholders who attended the University of Malawi (UNIMA) council meeting on Tuesday, have discredited the meeting saying it was fruitless.Among the stakeholders who attended the meeting include political parties, clergy, private universities and secondary school students among others.
According to UNIMA Council, the meeting was to discuss the controversial fee hike issue in the public universities that sparked students to protest and saw the indefinite closure of Chancellor College.
However, some stakeholders who talked to Maravipost in a condition of anonymity said that what came out of the meeting was contrary to their expectation.
“In the invitation letters the council told us that the meeting will be like a discussion. But surprisingly this has not transpired today,” said our internal source.
“The way the council officials handled the meeting was just to tell us their stand on the matter and not a discussion as it was stated in the invitation letter,” they disclosed.
According to them, the council officials only told the gathering that their stand on the meeting was that the fees will remain hiked.
“It’s like the council just wanted us to support its stand. Another thing that surprised us was the missing of the students themselves who are the concerned party,” said our source.
The group wondered why the council expected the matter to be resolved without the presence of the students.
Meanwhile, the council is yet to issue a comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, President Muthalika is expected to meet UNIMA students’ union leaders on Thursday to discuss on the same issue.
On the same day, Malawi Civil Society Organizations have organized a national wide protest on Thursday over the same issue.