Darlington Matola and Shadreck Chidyamakuni, undergraduate students studying Politics and Public Management at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU), filed an urgent Chamber application at the High Court in Masvingo challenging the university’s requirement for students to pay 50% of their fees exclusively in US dollars.
Represented by Martin Mureri of Matutu Mureri Legal Practitioners, Chidyamakuni argues that GZU’s demand for exclusive US dollar payments is unlawful and manipulative, as it risks preventing students from registering for the semester.
Darlington Matola contends that GZU’s insistence on US dollar payments contravenes Section 7(1) of the Exchange Control (Exclusive use of the Zimbabwean Dollar for Domestic Transactions) Regulations 2019 S.I 212 of 2019, as amended by Section 2 of Exchange Control (Exclusive use of the Zimbabwean Dollar for Domestic Transactions) Regulations 2020 (No3) S.I 185 of 2020.
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This regulation allows for products and services charged in US dollars to be paid for at the prevailing interbank rate. He asserts that this requirement will prejudice him, as he may be unable to attend lectures, miss end-of-semester examinations, and potentially defer his studies.
Chidyamakuni seeks an order from the High Court to prohibit GZU from demanding exclusive US dollar fees payments and to require the university to accept payments in Zimbabwean dollars at the prevailing interbank rate.
He argues that failure to comply with GZU’s demand could jeopardize his education, forcing him to either accept the unlawful requirement or forfeit his studies altogether. Fees at GZU reportedly range from US$550 to US$900.
