RUTENDO CHIRUME
MASVINGO-Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) students have raised concerns over the shortage of accommodation availed by the higher learning institution as they have to compete with other residents in the suburbs doted around the ancient city at the beginning of each semester.
The students have to scramble for accommodation as the GZU campus hostels are not enough for all the thousands of learners at the institution and every semester they have to scramble for new lodgings.
The Midweek Watch gathered the situation is exacerbated by the high rentals charged by landlords due to high demand for accommodation resulting in students staying far away from school in places that are sometimes not conducive for learning.
GZU has got two students accommodation centres, at Mucheke Campus and Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund flats in Rujeko which can only take few hundred students out of an average of 8000 who need lodgings per semester.
A GZU student, Prosper Chingozho shared his concerns saying the issue has forced many students including those at Mashava Campus to live outside school premises where their security is heavily compromised.
“The accommodation issue at both campuses has forced many to live outside the campus where their security is very compromised. This is partly cause by the university which is demanding full payment for accommodation from students before the beginning of the semester, something that is almost impossible in these difficult times.
“Right now many rooms are empty but students are facing accommodation problems yet the school is turning a blind eye over the issue, unfortunately the university’s accommodation department is not ready to listen to the students’ plight,” said Chingozho.
Zimbabwe National Students Union ( ZINASU ) GZU spokesperson Tadiwa Mushonga shared the same sentiments and said in most circumstances students are staying far from the located learning campuses.
“The issue of accommodation is a big problem in city campuses mostly. Most of the time we are unable to check for accommodation on the website when they flight adverts because of technical problems and the rooms are limited’
“The available boarding houses are expensive for students are coming from poor families,” said Mushonga.
GZU Director of information and public relations, Anderson Chipatiso said it is difficult to provide accommodation for all the students because of their numbers, but the school is doing everything possible get round the problem and make sure students are provided for with safe and affordable accommodation.
“The school has two accommodation facilities, but we also have contracts with various boarding houses in town which are managed and controlled by the school to make sure that they are safe and in good condition. It will be difficult to give accommodation to all the students, but we are trying everything within our capacity to make sure students have safe and affordable accommodation for our students,” said Chipatiso.
