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Student's
health deteriorates as he enters second week in custody
Henry Makiwa, SW Radio Africa
October 10, 2007
http://www.swradioafrica.com/news101007/studentshealth101007.htm
The Zimbabwe
Students Union (Zinasu) has raised alarm bells over the health
and continued detention of Edison Hlatshwayo, the secretary general
for the students union at the Great Zimbabwe University.
Hlatshwayo was arrested
a fortnight ago by Masvingo police while attending a public meeting
organized by the Zimbabwe Youth Forum at Charles Austin theatre
hall. He was arrested on allegations of malicious injury to property
and assault. A magistrate in the city refused him bail arguing that
the state was still hunting for more students following student
clashes with the police.
Students activists on
Wednesday said Hlatshwayo's health was fast deteriorating
as he was being denied food and access to lawyers by the police.
Student leader
Mehli Dube of the National
University for Science and Technology (Nust) described Hlatshwayo's
condition as worrying.
He said: "Our leadership
has been to see him recently and we are concerned about the squalid
conditions he is living and the denial of food and legal aid they
have put over him.
"The ploy by the
Mugabe regime is obviously very deliberate and aims to dampen the
students' justified right to question anomalies in the country's
education system. They want to intimidate us into submission by
arrests and beatings and, as we speak, we understand they are hunting
down some of our members."
Meanwhile in Bulawayo,
police arrested two student activists in a swoop on a students general
meeting Tuesday.
Themba Maphenduka
and Vananceo Jachi were taken into custody and a manhunt has been
launched as police and security details seek to arrest Langalihle
Manyani, the Vice-President of the Students
Christian Movement of Zimbabwe and Cynthia Manjoro, who recently
completed her internship with the Media
Institute of Southern Africa. Student Samson Nxumalo has also
been forced into hiding.
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