The Sunday News
Mollet Ndebele, Sunday News Reporter
STUDENTS at Lupane State University have blasted the institution for its failure to resolve differences with lecturers who went on strike and refused to conduct block release lessons.
Lecturers at the institution refused to conduct lessons after LSU could not review their allowances for teaching block release classes.
A student who chose to remain anonymous said some students had travelled from far places to attend the classes scheduled for Bulawayo.
“Some of us travelled from Victoria Falls and we had to look for accommodation for those two weeks that we were meant to be learning,” said the student.
Another student from the Department of Commerce said the university had promised to combine them with the parallel students but nothing has been done as yet.
“We asked for two weeks study leave from our workplaces and we cannot continuously ask when we do not know if we are going to learn or not,” she said.
However, LSU director of marketing and communication, Mr Zwelithini Dhlamini said the university regrets what happened to block release students.
“The university wouldn’t want them to incur such expenses but it was a situation beyond our immediate control.
“We are sorry for the travelling, accommodation and food expenses that they incurred,” said Mr Dlamini.
Mr Dhlamini said the institution was working to ensure such challenges are not repeated. LSU, like other universities, wanted to increase fees but the Government vetoed the move as a way of ensuring that education remains affordable to the majority.
