Soda Slams “Self-Serving System” Restricting Access To Higher Education

Government says the expansion of university infrastructure must go hand in hand with increased student intake as it moves to dismantle what it describes as a self-serving system where professional bodies control enrolment and restrict access to higher education.

The remarks were made by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Zhemu Soda, after a recent tour of the Midlands State University Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Law School Campus in Kwekwe.

Kwekwe campus director Gilbert Tarugarira said MSU had received more than 1 000 applications from law students, but not all could be absorbed. He said only 100 could be enrolled because enrolment is regulated by the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ).

Soda said restrictions imposed by bodies such as LSZ and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe should be done away with.

“The Government is aiming at breaking the practice of self-serving by bodies such as the Law Society of Zimbabwe and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe so that institutions like MSU can absorb more students,” said Soda.

“The practice is self-serving by lawyers. Government is expanding facilities to break the self-serving practice. There are some restrictions they have put in place. It’s something that must be broken.

“We cannot have a facility that can absorb 1 000 students taking only 100.

“It’s something we have to look at further. The expansion has to have a corresponding increase in student intake.”

The MSU Faculty of Law has relocated from the main campus in Gweru to the new Kwekwe facility, with all lectures, tutorials and administrative operations now moved to the campus following the resumption of the 2026 academic semester on Monday last week.

More: Chronicle

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