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Riot police on University of Zimbabwe campus
"Kangaroo"
January 02, 2003

The year is 2002 and the date is November the 12th. I got the shocks of my life and the unfortunate ones got scars for life when a platoon of riot policemen invaded the university of Zimbabwe in military stylewith no provocation whatsover. The police rushed in a furiousrage around campus firing copious amounts of tear gas into halls of residece and beating the wheezing, coughing, choking students as they came dashing out.

The saga began when lecturers went on strike calling for immediate redress of their salary structures vis a vis those of some non-academic staff members who were said to be earning more than junior lecturers at the institution. The administration did not respond to the grievance in time.

This prompted students to demonstrate in solidarity with their lectures. We gathered outside the UZ clinic block in large numbers and listened to speeches from members of the Student Executive Council. A group of UZ security gurads gathered nearby to "monitor the situation". They were armed with baton sticks and police-style shields. Their proximity made some students uneasy and just before lunch time both sides started hurling stones at each other. The UZ security called in MIDSEC security guards accompanied by dogs to aid them. This sent the over 1000 students scurrying for the lives with security guards and dogs hot in pursuit.A few unlucky students were caught and beaten up by the guards.

Meanwhile the riot police were called in. They arrived on campus in a puma truck and several open jeeps with vengeance written all over their faces. They sped around campus and fired tear gas indiscriminately at students and non-students alike.. They fired a few canisters into some halls of residence and this brought students streaming out.

Things seemed to have quitened down at around 1700 hours. However, some students were still running around campus, whistling and chanting revolutionary songs. This is when the bloodiest attack on campus since Black Thursday (29 June 1995) began.

All of a sudden, there were policemen and UZ security guards everywhere. They stormed into halls of residence and threw canisters in almost every corridor (there are over 5 000 students who live on campus). Many students who had locked themselves in their rooms tried to brave the gas..But it was futile. When it was too much to bear, they came out - and met with the beating of their lives.

One lady was simultaneously lampooned by three policemen. She was in hospital for quite some time. Pregnant women were booted and punched. One had a miscarriage there and then. One couple that came runnnig out of New Complex One was made to perform acts of intimacy while other students who had been rounded up watched. Some were made to roll in the mud and pretend they were swimming. One girl fainted and was immediately ressurrected by a boot to the midriff. This went on until 200 Hours. Students could be seen fleeing in all directions around campus-some of the half-naked and others barefooted.

The UZ Admin remained tight lipped about this violence. We are being booted. We are being tortured and traumatised. We are victimised and harassed. We are being beaten and threatened.

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