The protests were also fueled by the apparent lack of communication between the students and the departments as some students complained of registering at schools only to be told they have not been approved by the DTEF.Discontent has been brewing at the department since the beginning of the academic year as a considerable number of students are still awaiting a response from the DTEF long after many institutions opened in early August. Some students blame department officials for dragging their feet in awarding sponsorships, especially to students advancing their studies and those seeking to be reinstated at school.
Maedza, who only appeared after the police arrived at the scene, told the angry students that they were doing everything in their power to respond to their applications and assured them all the students will have been given a response by today. He explained that in just one day, they receive close to 416 applications and said it takes time to process each application. He advised students to send only their school representatives to the office rather than flocking there in large numbers because this slows down their ability to do their work.
