An estimated 10 000 young Zimbabweans are reportedly enrolled at Zambian colleges and universities.
Parents and students who spoke to The Mirror claimed that Zambian universities are generally cheaper and fees are paid in the local currency which is stable, unlike the Zimbabwe dollar.
In Zambia, fees start from as little as $300 per semester and the quality of education on offer is reported to be higher than what is offered in Zimbabwe.
Moreover, some students said Zimbabwean universities’s primary focus is no longer on providing quality education but on making money.
An engineering student left a local State university in the second year and went to Zambia saying one can finish a degree programme in Zimbabwe without ever setting foot in a workshop.
The Mirror established that Lusaka Health Institute alone has an estimated 123 first, second and third-year nursing students.
Joseph Mukina, an agent who processes applications for Zimbabwean students, said that there are at least 200 Zimbabwean students in each of the 58 institutes of higher learning that he deals with.
This brings the total number of Zimbabwean students in the country to over 11 000.
The Mirror also reported a source at Chirundu Border Post as saying “the flood” of Zimbabwean students crossing into Zambia at the start of new semesters cannot be ignored anymore.
However, the Minister of Higher Education, Amon Murwira said he saw nothing wrong with Zimbabweans going to Zambia to further their education. Said Murwira:
People would want to twist the story to suit their narrative, but the truth is that everyone has his own choice.
We have a lot of Zimbabweans studying in China and other countries and we also have a lot of Zambians in our institutions of higher learning.
Meanwhile, Mukina said some of the popular institutions are Africa University, Cavendish University (Lusaka), Central African Baptist University, Chreso University, Copperstone University, Eden University, Gideon Robert University, Information and Communications University (ICU), Lusaka Apex Medical University, Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA) (Lusaka), Rusangu University, South Valley University, St. Bonaventure University, Texila American University Zambia, UNICAF University, University of Lusaka, Victoria Falls University of Technology (VFU), Zambia Catholic University and Zambian Open University
He also claimed he processes hundreds of applications every month from Zimbabweans seeking enrolment at Zambian colleges.
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