Students on government scholarship in Zimbabwe have said they closed the South Sudanese embassy in Harrare Friday morning in demand for their tuition and accommodation fees.

There are almost 150 students on government scholarship in Zimbabwe.

Some of them camped at the embassy last month, after their respective universities and colleges denied them accommodation and entry to classes in demand for 1.7 million US dollars.

The Council of Ministers approved 500, 000 US dollars last month to address the situation, but the students say the money has not been sent until now.

“The embassy has been closed down. There is no one who is getting in…We would like to know where is the $500,000 that has been released by the Council of Ministers,” Moses Kat, the students’ representative, told Eye Radio.

“We have not received even a single dollar from Juba. We have been served by our patriotic students from Australlia, Canada and America.

They have been raising money to support us for all these 37 days [we have been camping at the embassy],” Kat said.

“Not even a single dollar has come from our government; neither has our government shown concern over our issue. All we heard is that $500,000 has been released, but it is not even coming,” he said.

The Undersecretary in the Ministry of Higher Education in Juba, Professor Bol Deng, says he is aware of the action taken by the students.

He told Eye Radio that the matter is being addressed.

“The money is not yet paid. The submission is made to the Ministry of Finance, and it is now the Ministry of Finance to pay, and not only pay the money but to be transferred immediately to our embassy in Zimabwe,” Prof. Bol told Eye Radio.

“It is good now the Council of Ministers is meeting today and the taking over of the embassy is taking place today. I hope of the Council of Ministers will take … today so that by tomorrow or next tomorrow the money should be transferred to Zimabwe,” Prof. Bol said.

“So our students should remain patient… I am sure the Council of Ministers will decide something today, and not tomorrow – today, today,” he said.

Mr. Kat said they needed the money sent in time because they are sitting for their exams in the next three weeks.