Water crisis moves Must students to riot, college closed

Students at Malawi University of Science and Technology (Must) in Thyolo yesterday went on the rampage to protest lack of water at the institution.

For about three days, the students are said to have survived without water after the boreholes, which are their only source of clean water, stopped working.

Yesterday, the frustrated students went wild, blocking the Malowa-Goliati Road and stoning passing motor vehicles, according to witnesses. But no serious damages were reported.

The situation compelled the university’s management to close the college until the water challenge is addressed.

“Due to the scarcity of water on the campus as a result of breakdown of water pumps that supply the campus with water, management has resolved to close the campus temporarily.

“All the students are, therefore, advised to leave the campus by 4pm today. We shall communicate when the university shall resume,” reads part of a notice issued to the students’ body and signed by Must registrar Tarsizius Nampota dated November 7 2016.

In an interview later, Nampota said the boreholes’ pumps developed faults at the same time and could no longer supply water to the campus.

He said: “Unfortunately, the situation was getting worse so, in order to safeguard the students’ health, we resolved to ask them to go home while our service provider [Southern Region Water Board] rectifies the problem.

“Our desire as a university is to have the students back on the campus this Sunday, but as you know we don’t own these facilities [boreholes] it will also depend on how quick the problem will be addressed.”

Efforts to talk to the students’ representatives proved futile.