South Sudan students studying in Zimbabwe are facing economic hardship and are at risk of being dismissed from their universities as their government is late for several months in disbursing tuition fees and living stipends to students on government scholarships.
Athian Kur, a student studying in Zimbabwe, told Radio Tamazuj that the government couldn’t pay tuition fees and stipends of $100 per month for each student since last year.
“We are totally broke, we don’t have even soaps to wash our cloths, and some of us from different universities have been chased away unless the government pays school fees and pocket money” said Athian.
The university student urged the national government in Juba to take their appeal seriously by covering their living expenses and tuition requirements as soon as possible.
“So we ask our government to take this information seriously because we don’t know what will happen in the next few days since schools are already opened and our school fees are not yet paid” he said.
The complaining students were offered government scholarships to pursue further studies in various displines in Zimbabwe. The two countries had struck a deal to provide education to South Sudanese students last year.
Photo: South Sudanese students in Zimbabwe affected by the econonic hardship