File: Minister of Information, Michael Makuei addresses media in Juba. PHOTO: Joakino Francis/Eye Radio

The government is optimistic that the issue of tuition fees and other outstanding payments for students in Zimbabwe will soon be resolved, the Minister of Information has said.

Last week, students on government scholarship in Zimbabwe occupied the premises of the South Sudan embassy in Harare -forcing its closure.

The students say they have been denied school transcripts by their various Universities due to unpaid tuition fees by the government of South Sudan.

They also said they are being denied food by their universities, and do not have any allowance to cater for their needs.

Moses Kat Monyjok, the President of South Sudanese Students’ Union said about 130 students are currently sleeping in the cold in the limited space within the embassy.

When asked, the Minister of Higher Education, Yien Oral told Eye Radio that the responsibility of paying the remaining tuition fees for the students lies with the Minister of Finance and not his office.

But speaking after the Council of Ministers meeting in Juba on Friday, Michael Makuei said the government was aware of the condition of the students, and was working on a solution to address it.

“The government is concerned about those who went on government’s scholarship, and the Minister of Higher Education is following this in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, and we are optimistic that their problem will be solved soon,” he said.

Makuei added that the government is “only responsible for those who went on government scholarship.”

Among the students camping at the embassy in Harare, 79 of them have completed their studies, but have not received their transcripts due to the outstanding fees.