LSU evicts lecturers for students

Lupane-State-University

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
LUPANE State University (LSU) is evicting lecturers from its hostels at the university’s campus in Matabeleland North to accommodate more students.

In a letter that the Chronicle is in possession of, LSU ordered staff members to vacate its hostels by last night.

“Management has noted with concern that despite adequate notice given to you to vacate the hostel accommodation and two reminders, you still have not vacated the hostel six days after the last date of vacation,” reads a letter sent by the institution’s registrar only identified as Mr J Makunde.

“By way of this letter you are hereby requested to vacate the hostel room before close of business the 3rd of January 2018. After the lapse of this period, no further communications would be made regarding this matter.”

A lecturer at the university said the institution was evicting them from hostels without providing alternative accommodation.

“This is in violation of what we agreed on when we moved to the campus. The accommodation for lecturers which is supposed to be constructed on campus has not been built,” said the lecturer who preferred anonymity.

LSU’s director of marketing and communications Mr Zwelithini Dlamini said the university was pressured into evicting the lecturers as it wants to relocate more students from Bulawayo.

“LSU wants staff to vacate hostels they are occupying in Lupane. The hostels are meant for students but they occupied them on a temporary basis.

Management is under pressure to ensure that there is full relocation of students to its Lupane campus hence the need to remove staff from students’ hostels,” he said.

Mr Dlamini said the eviction of the lecturers is in line with the university’s expansion plan with the faculty of humanities expected to move on site at the end of this month.

Mr Dlamini said the university’s human resources department would assist lecturers to find accommodation locally.

He said the university has received funds for the construction of accommodation for its staff members. “The Government has complemented the construction efforts through releasing of finances to complete the construction of apartments. Unfortunately I don’t have the actual figure for the money that has been released,” he said.

Mr Dlamini said the university will this year be introducing double intakes with its second intake expected to resume classes before the end of this month.The university has another intake that commences in August.—@nqotshili.

 

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