11 arrested KCN students freed
The Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court yesterday granted bail to 11 students from Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) Lilongwe Campus arrested on Monday on suspicion of proposing violence contrary to Section 87 of the Penal Code.
The 11 were arrested following what the State described as an unlawful assembly aimed at organising a protest against the University of Malawi (Unima) Council decision to raise tuition fees from K55 000/K275 000 to a minimum of K400 000 per year.
Central Region Police spokesperson Ramsey Mushani had earlier indicated that the students would face a charge bordering on conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
However, the charge was changed to proposing violence a few hours before the suspects appeared before the court.
In their plea before senior resident magistrate Shyreen Yona yesterday, the students denied the charge.
Police prosecutor senior superintendent Cecilia Zangazanga said the State would parade five witnesses to prove its case against the suspects.
Each student was ordered to produce a non-cash bond of K50 000. They were also ordered to be reporting to Lilongwe Police Station once in a fortnight.
KCN was the third Unima constituent college to protest the fee hike after Chancellor College in Zomba and the Polytechnic in Blantyre.
The students protests follow a decision by Unima Council to put its foot down on the issue after meeting Unima Students Union (Umsu) leadership.
Why is the government babysitting the UNIMA council? From the protests that have erupted, it is clear that the decision of the council could be deemed as an action that caused breach of peace and hence the need to arrest those people that made such a violent-inciting decision without due regard to its consequence! Otherwise the police are addressing symptoms not causes. Or is it that the government has failed the council and as such it is using archaic means (using tax payers’ sponsored security agency to unleash terror on innocent citizen (students)) in order to hide its failures to fully support the council financially? Whichever way, the government has score 0/10.
Anzawo aku MZUNI anasova mavuto amenewa koma UNIMA yakanika!