Unima selects 974 on merit

Source: Nation Malawi 

The University of Malawi (Unima) on Wednesday released names of 974 students into its five constituent colleges based on the merit system—which was done in July this year.

The development comes amid debate and legal wrangles which have ensued after it was disclosed that the Unima selection committee was presented with new policy documents and told to re-select the students using a new system a few weeks ago.

The alleged new system, referred to by Unima registrar Benedicto Malunga as a policy to "[widen] access and participation in higher education for the disadvantaged", advocates that the selection be done based on the students places of origin.

It resembles the quota system––practised during the Hastings Kamuzu Banda era––which stipulates that for residential students, a specific number of candidates per district be selected into Unima and that consideration on size of the district be used for the remaining places.

Recently, head of African Languages and Linguistics Department at Chancellor College Winfred Mkochi and a colleague applied to the High Court in Blantyre to stop the University Council from selecting students based on the new system.

On Wednesday, the court directed that the implementation of the new system be held pending a judicial review on the matter.

In an interview with The Nation yesterday, Mkochi said he served Unima vice-chancellor Zimani Kadzamira and Unima Council chairperson Benson Kandoole with the court papers before a Council meeting on Wednesday morning.

"The Council chairperson told me that the quota system is no longer an issue and went through the documents," said Mkochi.

But Kandoole told The Nation that the release of results based on merit was not in any way influenced by the court injunction.

"We had already made the decision before the injunction was granted because we realised that some things need to be reviewed before implementing the new system and doing so now could have meant a delay in students starting their first year," said Kandoole.

According to a Unima press release, Bunda College students are supposed to report this Saturday, 25 October 2008.

"Candidates selected to Chancellor College, College of Medicine, Kamuzu College of Nursing and the Polytechnic are advised that the date of reporting to their respective colleges shall be announced by their respective colleges later," says the statement, adding that selection lists are available at the University Office, the colleges, the Unima website and will be published over the weekend.