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Loans board bows to students pressure
2005-10-04 00:03:49
By Lusekelo Philemon and Emmanuel Kihaule
Higher Education Scholarships and Loans Board (HESLB) has caved in to pressure and promised to disburse university students’ loans immediately.
This was after University of Dar es Salaam students began boycotting classes yesterday to press for meal, accommodation and stationary allowances.
HESLB co-ordinator Machunda Lubamba said the board began disbursing the loans yesterday afternoon to student’s bank accounts.
Asked whether the move was in response to the students’ decision to boycott classes, the HESLB official conceded that the board was partly to blame for the delay.
Students from all campuses of the university demonstrated from Mabibo hostels in Dar es Salaam before assembling at Nkrumah Hall to discuss grievances.
They said they had resorted to strike to protest the failure by HESLB to process their loans on time.
Most universities are in the second week of the current academic year.
But a number of students have not reported back as they have been forced to chase the cash at HESLB headquarters in Dar es Salaam.
In his address to the students, the president of the University of Dar es Salaam Student Organisation (Daruso), Mwikwabe Mwita, said they had resolved to boycott classes to compel HESLB to release the money.
He said they are unable to pay for meals, accommodation, books and stationary allowances as required.
Mwita added that the students are to hold a procession today to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education to present their grievances to the minister in-charge.
He said they had also sent a letter to the Dar es Salaam Regional Police Commander, Alfred Tibaigana, to notify him of their intended procession.
However, UDSM administration through a letter signed by chief academic officer Mayunga Nkunya directed the students to attend classes as their allowances were being looked into.
University College of Land and Architectural Studies (UCLAS), Muhimbili University College of Sciences and Medicine and Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) boycotted classes saying they are being subjected to a punishing schedule without the money.
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